Villagers blame Bathinda refinery for crop damage, bovine infertility

BATHINDA: Residents of Kanakwal village in the district are blaming pollution from the Guru Gobind Singh Refinery for not only damaging their paddy crop due to acid rain but also turning their buffaloes and cows infertile.

A villager shows his skin infection. Tribune photo

Bharat Khanna

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 16

Residents of Kanakwal village in the district are blaming pollution from the Guru Gobind Singh Refinery for not only damaging their paddy crop due to acid rain but also turning their buffaloes and cows infertile.

The villagers have also complained of respiratory problems and skin and eye allergies caused by the toxic fumes emitted by the refinery.

Deepinder Singh (25), a village resident, said, “Last year, my wife became a victim of this pollution as she suffered a miscarriage.” Doctors have advised pregnant women to leave the village till the birth of their child in the wake of polluted air in and around the village.

The situation is no different in Naurang village of Sirsa, Haryana, as Kanakwal is situated near Punjab’s borders with Haryana.

Sukhpal Singh, panchayat member of Naurang village, said, “Our village has faced a huge decline in the number of calves as our bovines are turning infertile. We have to purchase buffaloes from other villages now.”

He claimed more than 90 per cent households have one or more person suffering from skin ailment. “More than 70 per cent people, including children and youth, have weak eyesight. Refinery authorities come to hold eye camps here as they know they are behind the problem,” he added.

Last week, Ramsran and Tarkhanwala of Punjab and Naurang and Chattha of Haryana witnessed crop damage following acid rain.

PPCB Executive Engineer, Bathinda, Surjit Singh Dhaliwal said, “We have never received any complaint regarding pregnancy problems or skin diseases to villagers. Our officials regularly visit the refinery and surrounding villages.”

Refinery spokesperson Pankaj Vinayak said, “Camps are regularly organised by the refinery. There can be other reasons for skin diseases. There is no pollution from the refinery. The situation is being monitored by the Pollution Department.”

Dr Roop Singh, JK Trust Gram Vikas Yojana, who looks after buffaloes in Naurang village, said, “Cattle infertility is seen in many villages, but those around the refinery have more cases. Many cases of miscarriage within three months of pregnancy have been witnessed in Naurang, Ramsra and other villages and in 70 per cent of the cases, the reason is pollution.”