Pollution in Ghaggar on rise: Selja in LS

The issue of worsening pollution in the Ghaggar river echoed in the Lok Sabha on Friday with Sirsa MP Kumari Selja’s warning that contaminated water is driving a sharp rise in cancer, liver and kidney diseases across several districts in Haryana.

Raising the matter during Zero Hour, MP Selja said lakhs of people in Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kaithal and Ambala are facing a growing health crisis as pollution in the river reaches alarming levels.

Villages along the river are reporting increasing cases of cancer, hepatitis-C, skin diseases, kidney ailments and severe stomach disorders. In Sirsa district, where the river flows for 169 km, villages such as Ottu, Rori, Kuttabadh and Ellenabad have seen a steady rise in cancer cases. Many residents still depend on groundwater or polluted local sources because Bhakra canal drinking water has not reached these areas, she said, adding that heavy metals in groundwater are worsening liver and cancer cases.

She criticised both Punjab and Haryana Governments for poor pollution control, saying many sewage treatment plants are shut or working below capacity, while industries continue to release untreated chemical waste into the river. The MP urged the Centre to launch emergency action to curb Ghaggar pollution.