Haphazard growth alarming, says panel

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 15

The members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science, Technology, Environment and Forests have expressed concern over the deteriorating ground water quality, falling water table and the increasing air pollution in Punjab.

The panel members highlighted these issues during a meeting with the members of NGOs and state and Union government officials. They also brought to light the ills of haphazard urbanisation. They said the large-scale migration of people from rural to urban areas had posed a threat to environment, which needed to be addressed on a priority.

The committee held deliberations with civil society members, representatives from the industry and officers from the Punjab departments of sewerage board, municipal corporation, traffic police and pollution control board.

Scientists from Bhabha Atomic Research Station, who too attended the meeting, apprised the committee about the extent of uranium contamination in ground water and the remedial action that was required.

Addressing the media, Rajya Sabha MP and committee chairman Ashwani Kumar said, “We have discussed the problem of general waste with civic body officials and asked them to designate dumping yards.”

He said the civic bodies had been told to send action-taken report to the committee through the state government within a month.

Among other members on the committee are Vansanthi M, Paul Manoj Pandian, Bhupinder Singh, Bimla Kashyap Sood, Ronald Sapa Tlau, Dr K Gopal, Daddan Mishra, Harinarayan Rajbhar, Vikram Vasanthi M and Nana Patole.

The committee has issued instructions for proper disposal of bio-medical and electronic waste and animal carcasses. The officials of various departments were told to implement laws pertaining to such disposal with strictness. Kumar said officials of the state government had desired for financial support from the Centre for establishing sewerage treatment and collection capacity.

He said the committee, in its report to the Union Government, would recommend as much financial assistance as required to complete the project. He also stressed on “real-time ambient air quality monitoring” in Amritsar to lessen the impact of pollution on the Golden Temple.