Ghaggar water in Sirsa declared unsafe, MLA warns of health crisis

A Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) report has declared the Ghaggar water in Sirsa unsafe for both drinking and irrigation, citing dangerously high levels of contamination.

Sirsa MLA Gokul Setia termed the findings a “public health emergency” and said he would raise the matter in the upcoming monsoon session of the Haryana Assembly.

“More than 250 people are dying every week in the Ghaggar belt due to pollution-related illnesses such as heart attacks and cancer. Villages along the river are reporting a surge in kidney failure, liver damage and severe skin diseases. This crisis is linked directly to the contaminated water that people are forced to use,” Setia told The Tribune.

The HSPCB’s July 2025 water quality assessment revealed bacterial contamination thousands of times above permissible limits, indicating untreated sewage and effluent discharge. The report also flagged excessive suspended solids (up to 317 mg/L), high hardness (up to 4,060 mg/L), and oil and grease concentrations of 36 mg/L — confirming inflow of untreated industrial waste.

The study concluded: “Ghaggar water in the Sirsa stretch is not safe for drinking in raw form anywhere” and warned that irrigation also carries risks of contaminants entering the food chain.

Health experts warned of both immediate and chronic illnesses, ranging from diarrhea, cholera and typhoid to kidney stones, gastrointestinal disorders and liver disease.

Setia demanded strict monitoring of sewage treatment plants in Sirsa, Ellenabad and Rania and coordination with Punjab to curb upstream inflows. “The government must immediately develop a Ghaggar Action Plan similar to the Yamuna clean-up project,” he said.

The HSPCB recommended continuous monitoring stations and strict compliance checks on industries to tackle the crisis.