NGT comes down on Punjab over pollution of Ghaggar river

The principal bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) headed by Justice Sudhir Agarwal on Thursday came down heavily on the Punjab government over its inability to prevent pollution in the Ghaggar river

The principal bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) headed by Justice Sudhir Agarwal on Thursday came down heavily on the Punjab government over its inability to prevent pollution in the Ghaggar river.

NGT observed that residents living in the vicinity of Ghaggar don’t have access to clean and potable water as the groundwater is critically polluted.

Sunaina, advocate-cum-social activist, had filed a petition in the tribunal seeking issue of time-bound directions to authorities to take preventive measures to avoid pollution in the Ghaggar river and install more sewage treatment plant (STPs) in all villages in its vicinity.

NGT observed that residents living in the vicinity of Ghaggar don’t have access to clean and potable water as the groundwater is critically polluted and the farmers there use this water to cultivate crops, which are then supplied to cities like Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula, and Patiala. Sunaina stated in the petition stated that the scenario gets worse when the river passes through the Derabassi-Rajpura-Patiala area where it has turned black and a foul smell emanates from it.

“Ghaggar’s pollution can be attributed to discharge of industrial effluents as well as municipal waste. They directly enter the river from villages where STPs haven’t been installed. The water is unfit for use and results in skin problems, and health problems such as cancer and typhoid for those who use it as a water source,” said the petition,

While disposing of the present petition, NGT has directed Suniana to take appropriate steps for execution of the order if it is not properly implemented by appropriate authorities.