Baijnath MC dumps garbage into river, damages water supply lines

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, August 3
The dumping of garbage in Binwa river by the Baijnath Municipal Council has damaged the pump house and water supply lines of the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department, resulting in severe drinking water crises in the lower areas of Baijnath.
The IPH department has tapped water from the Binwa for its water supply schemes in six villages like Dhanag, Hari and Bolu. In the absence of any check by the authorities, the Baijnath MC is openly dumping garbage, which has badly damaged water supply lines in the river.
It may be recalled that due to the contamination of drinking water, Paprola town is in the grip of water-borne diseases, which has claimed one life so far, while six others are fighting for their survival in different hospitals.
Following a spurt in the cases water-borne diseases in the region, the Health Department had issued specific directions to the civic body to clean and maintain all water resources, but the Baijnath MC has miserably failed to comply with these directions. A number of residents said the river had become highly polluted because of the unabated dumping of garbage that has led to the outbreak of jaundice in the area.
The residents said the Binwa was the lifeline of people residing in Baijnath, Paprola, Chadhiar and other lower areas as it powers various drinking water supply schemes in the area.
Two years ago, the Pollution Control Board had slapped Rs 7 lakh fine on the civic body for violating its directions. However, the action has failed to have an impact as the dumping of waste into the river continues unabated. A senior official of the civic body said, “The MC was not dumping garbage into the river.”
Baijnath Sub-Divisional Magistrate DC Thakur said he would take necessary action to address the issue.
Meanwhile, IPH Junior Engineer Rajesh Sharma said the MC should immediately stop dumping garbage into the river as it was not a notified site for dumping.
If any epidemic was reported in the lower areas, the MC would be held responsible for the same, he added.