Protest against release of toxic water in Sutlej

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 5

Members of Jeewan Bachao Samaj Bachao Society staged a protest outside the office of the Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner, Pradeep Aggrawal, on Thursday. The protest was staged against the release of dirty and toxic water of city-based industries and dairies into the Sutlej River through Buddha Nullah.

The agitating members of society demanded that the state government should stop release of dirty and toxic industrial water into the Sutlej River.

Members of society claimed that the Sutlej River water had become so dirty that it kept stinking whole time.

“Moreover, the underground water within an area of 10km radius on both sides of the river, which falls in the Malwa and Doaba regions, has also turned toxic. This water is not safe for drinking. But villagers have no other option but to use this water for drinking purpose. This is spreading various serious diseases among villagers,” said Pritam Singh Akhara, a representative of society while addressing protesters.

The protesters claimed that a large number of residents of villages located on both sides of the river were suffering from diseases like Hepatitis-B, Hepatitis-C and even cancer because of drinking toxic water.

The protesters also sent a memorandum to the Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amrinder Singh, through the Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner demanding a permanent solution to the problem. They said if the administration failed to find a way out to this problem within six months then a massive movement would be launched against the ruling dispensation.