Smelly water spooks villagers

Parvesh Sharma
Tribune News Service
Sangrur, November 22

The flow of blackish water in the Kotla branch canal has triggered health concerns among villagers in the area.

“The toxic water with foul smell has been flowing for the past one week. The canal passes through various districts of Punjab, but officials concerned are yet to act,” says Bhupinder Singh, state committee member of the Kirti Kisan Union.

Farmers of Dhadriyan, Sahoke and other villages along the canal claim the authorities concerned have failed to prevent further release of waste in the canal. They claim the contaminated water may cause serious health issues among area residents. “Excessive use of pesticide has already polluted Punjab’s groundwater, causing serious ailments among people. The release of toxic waste into the canal will aggravate the situation as the water is being used in farming,” says Bhajan Singh, another leader.

Harpinderjeet Singh, XEN, canal department, Sangrur, said they had examined the entire stretch from Manpur in Ropar district, from where their jurisdiction begins, but hadn’t found discharge of waste into the canal. “We have received complaints about blackish water in the canal and taken up the matter with our seniors.”