Images of black water being released into the Ferozepur feeder canal from Harike headworks have flooded the Internet in the past few days, with the Punjab Water Resources department issuing an advisory on May 16 asking residents not to use the water released in the canal for the purpose of drinking.
A Punjab Pollution Control Department member, on Thursday, however, contradicted the state water department’s claim and stated that the water in the canal could be made drinkable after treatment.
“All the parameters of the water released in Ferozpur feeder seem to be under control. An advisory was issued by the Department of Water Resources for not drinking water directly taken from the canal. One can, however, drink it after the treatment,” said PPCB member secretary Krunesh Garg.
He also refuted allegations that industrial waste being discharged at Harike headworks being the reason for the black, polluted water floating in the feeder canal.
“The impact of industrial waste is less than 15% on the water at Harike headworks. The main reason for pollution in water is the domestic sewerage and waste from the dairy industry. More than 50% pollutant in the water is that of domestic sewerage. Then comes the dairy industry, which is not part of the public perception of being a part of the pollution problem in the Satluj,” said Garg.
He added that the pollution control board was also building a water treatment plant of 225 MLD at Jamalpur for treatment of domestic sewerage waste. “Three plants to treat industrial waste are already functioning. We are also planning to build two more plants to treat dairy waste,” said Garg.
According to sources, the infamous Buddha Nullah, which carries industrial and domestic waste from Ludhiana into the Satluj was to blame for the black water of the Ferozepur canal.
Budha Nullah is a seasonal water stream, which runs through the Malwa region of Punjab, and after passing through highly populated Ludhiana district, Punjab, it drains into Sutlej River, a tributary of the Indus river. It has also become a major source of pollution in the region as well the main Sutlej river, as it gets polluted after entering the highly populated and industrialized Ludhiana city, turning it into an open drain.
The pollutants being carried by the Buddha Nullah mixes with the water of Satluj and Beas at Harike headworks. The problem of polluted water became visible to the naked eye last week after the Ferozpur feeder canal was fed with fresh supply after a long gap. The strong flow of water dragged with it industrial, sewerage and dairy waste which started floating on top at the Harike headworks.
Environmentalists, on the other hand, sounded alarmed at the claims being made by the Punjab pollution board officials asking people to drink the polluted water after treatment.
“Perhaps they can lead by example. We challenge the pollution control board officials to drink water from Ferozpur Feeder after treatment. It is insensitivity on part of the PPCB to be saying this when they are responsible to have created this problem,” said green activist, Gurpreet Singh Chandbaja.
“It is also a lie that industry is not responsible for polluting the water. I had gone to village Valipur where Buddha Nullah meets Satluj on April 5. I took a sample of water from the nullah in a bottle. It was black. Had this been due to sewerage then water would have been filtered by now. But the black colour of the water is because of indutrial effluents and chemicals that are released into the Buddha Nullah,” said Chandbaja.
Earlier this month, the Rajasthan unit of the Bhartiya Janta Party had written to the Lok Sabha Speaker as well as the Punjab Chief Minister to highlight the issue of alleged contaminated water reaching their state and demanding a permanent solution to the issue.
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Originally Appeared Here