Water supply halted till reports arrive

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, May 20

The Water Supply and Sanitation Board stopped the drinking water supply in many towns and villages on Sunday after tonnes of fish died in the Indira Gandhi canal, Sirhind Feeder and Gung canal due to contamination of water.

It occurred after the release of molasses from a sugar mill into Beas River in the state.

A team of lab officials from the Regional Water Testing Laboratory, Mohali, collected water samples from the drinking water reservoirs in Faridkot and adjoining towns on Sunday.

Kuldeep Singh Saini, superintending engineer in the board, said the drinking water supply would be resumed after its testing at the board’s laboratory at Mohali and Patiala was done.

The chemical examination and testing of the samples of water is expected to take minimum four-five days.

Providing water supply to residents is risky until reports are received, said Saini.

“We have stopped the water supply in all towns and villages where it is canal-based,” he added.

However, the waterworks division, which relies on tube-wells, has continued providing water supply, he said.

Similar is the situation in Rajasthan where the Indira Gandhi Nahar Department (IGND) has issued orders not to use water of the Indira Gandhi canal for drinking purpose.

“Though the desert state has no alternative means of supplying water, we are using the reserved stock of water,” said Amarjeet Singh Mehrada, chief engineer, IGND, Bikaner.

While the Indira Gandhi canal supplies water to 15 districts of Rajasthan, Sirhind Feeder and Gung canal cater to the needs of many towns and villages of Faridkot, Muktsar, Fazilka and Ferozepur districts.

All these canals originate from the Harike head works. Beas and Sutlej rivers feed the Harike head works.

The instances of aquatic mortality and harmful effects on the health of people relying on the water of these canals are in abundance.

The level of oxygen in the water in these canals has been very low since 1996 and it has been revealed in many studies on checking the level of pollution, said Shikhar Agarwal, Principal Secretary, IGND, Rajasthan.

The wake-up alarm has been ringing non-stop for a long time in this region known for high prevalence of cancer and other water-borne and heavy metal induced diseases.

“But no one is listening and certainly not those who are at the helm of affairs. Like a fish, a common man dies or survives, or waits for death in abject pain. He/she is of no concern to those in power,” said Umendra Dutt, executive director, Kheti Virasat Mission (KVM), a voluntary organisation working in the field of environment and ecology in the region.