Now, dead fish in Indira Gandhi canal; Rajasthan sounds alert

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, May 19

Two days after a large number of dead fish were found floating in the Beas, a similar scene was witnessed in the Indira Gandhi canal in the Faridkot area on Saturday.

Besides, the canal water was black and emanating a foul smell. Officials said the polluted water of the Beas had contaminated the Sutlej too, after their confluence at the Harike barrage.

“There were about three to five tonnes of dead fish floating in the canal,” said Vikas Arora, a resident. Ram Prasad, a migrant labourer, said, “Though the water was stinking, some people were seen collecting the dead fish. They later complained of diarrhoea and vomiting.”

The Water Sanitation Department of Faridkot has stopped the use of the canal water. The Indira Gandhi Nahar Department (IGND) in Rajasthan, too, has sounded an alert across Hanumangarh, Bikaner and Jaisalmer divisions in the wake of the release of molasses from a sugar mill into the Beas.

Carrying water from Harike, the confluence point of the Sultej and Beas rivers in Ferozepur district, the Indira Gandhi canal and the Sirhind feeder that run parallel supply drinking and irrigation water to the south-west Malwa region of Punjab and Hanumangarh, Bikaner, Jaisalmer divisions of Rajasthan. Chander Mohan, SDO, Water Supply and Sanitation Department, Faridkot, said the supply of water for drinking purpose had been stopped from the Sirhind feeder.

Shikhar Agarwal, principal secretary, IGND, Rajasthan, said, “We have asked the Water Supply Department not to use the Indira Gandhi canal water for the time being. The department will use the stored water and the new supply from the canal will be consumed after laboratory tests and double treatment. We will raise the matter with the Punjab Chief Secretary. This is not the first time that our sole drinking water source has been polluted in Punjab but the situation is highly worrisome this time” “The pollution of the Beas has also affected the Gung Canal, another lifeline for the desert state,” said Dr Ram Pratap, IGND Minister of Rajasthan. “We will raise the issue with the Punjab Government and the Centre,” he added.

Rajasthan livid

This is not the first time that our sole drinking water source has been polluted in Punjab but the situation is very serious this time. We will raise the matter with the Punjab Chief Secy. — Shikhar Agarwal, principal secy, Indira Gandhi Nahar Dept, Rajasthan