Land acquired, MC yet to set up garbage treatment plant

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, June 24

The Baijnath-Paprola Municipal Council has not been able to set up a garbage treatment plant on 30 kanals acquired five years ago at Burli Kothi near Paprola town in Kangra district.

Official sources say that the municipal council has also procured machinery for the garbage treatment plant but local residents are not allowing its installation. At present, there is no provision for the scientific handling and disposal of garbage in the twin towns of the district.

Baijnath-Paprola is one of the biggest councils of the district having 11 wards spread in a 7-km radius and has a population of 18,000. These towns are major business centres surrounded by a number of Tibetan monasteries. Baijnath is also known for an ancient Shiva temple, one of the 11 Jayotirlingas in India.

In the absence of an identified place, the area residents are dumping garbage in Binwa river flowing through the twin towns. The Binwa, one of the major tributaries of the Beas, is considered the lifeline for the local residents as several water supply schemes of the IPH Department are dependent on it. Garbage dumping has rendered Binwa water contaminated and unfit for human consupmtion.

A few days ago, a local panchayat had protested the dumping of dead chicken in the river. They also met Baijnath SDM Saleem Azam over the failure of the authorities concerned to initiate appropriate steps to save the river from contamination.

When contacted, the SDM told The Tribune that he had joined duty recently and the matter has now come to his notice. “Efforts are on to resolve the issue and soon the district administration will try to persuade local residents not to oppose the setting up of the garbage treatment plant at Buril Kothi,” he added.

Caption: Garbage being dumped in the Binwa river at Baijnath in Kangra district.