Drive to check pollution in Yamuna, board to act against violators

A day after launching a special environment policy by CM Nayab Singh Saini to curb air and water pollution, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has decided to launch a drive to tighten the noose around violators of environmental norms.

Teams from the board's headquarters would be fielded in the districts for special checking, especially to curb the pollution in the Yamuna and the districts in the NCR.

At a meeting on Tuesday, all Regional Officers (ROs) were directed to initiate action against industrial units emitting black smoke.

Panipat has been put on the list of the most polluted cities by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Black smoke from industrial chimneys and discharge of untreated effluent in drains or in the open are a common sight here. Industries discharge effluent in drains, and drain No. 2 leads to the Yamuna near Khojkipur. Scores of samples have repeatedly failed laboratory tests.

Hundreds of bleaching units operational here are also a reason behind the water pollution. Illegal discharge of sewage in drains is also another reason.

The Chief Secretary recently constituted a special committee, under the chairmanship of the HSPCB Chairman, to monitor the quality of 11 drains in the state leading to the Yamuna.

As per sources, the focus of the HSPCB is to curb air and water pollution in the districts adjoining the Yamuna. These include Yamunanagar, Karnal, Panipat, Sonepat, Faridabad, Palwal, Gurugram, and Bahadurgarh.

Board Chairman Vineet Garg and Member Secretary Pradeep Dagar have directed ROs to monitor the discharge of effluent in drains. Dagar said the officials had been told to initiate action against non-compliant industries.