NGT panel finds water in Una villages fit for drinking, irrigation

Tribune News Service

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, July 19

A committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to ascertain the health of underground water and soil in villages of Himachal located on the borders of Punjab and Himachal in Una district adjoining chemical unit Punjab Alkalis and Chemicals Ltd. (PACL) of Punjab has found that though the underground water in villages was in good health, soil in villages located near the plant was acidic.

On the basis of the report submitted by the committee the NGT bench headed by chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel has directed the project proponents to reclaim the land which was found acidic. The Director Agriculture, Himachal, has been asked to submit a report to the NGT regarding reclamation of land.

The NGT disposed of the application of the residents of Malakpur and Veenawal villages. The villagers had moved the NGT alleging that the PACL unit was discharging polluted chemical effluents which was causing contamination of their agriculture lands and the land had become uncultivable. The villagers had also alleged that water samples drawn from seven to eight underground tube wells and deep borewells of the IPH Department had become unfit for irrigation and drinking purpose.

The NGT had formed a committee having experts from the Central Ground Water Board, Punjab Pollution Control Board, the Central Pollution Control Board, Himachal Pollution Control Board and DCs of Una and Ropar to visit the affected villages and submit the report.

The committee visited the villages on June 3 and took water and soil samples. The soil samples were divided into two portions. While one sample was sent to Palampur Agriculture University, the other was sent to the state soil testing laboratory of Punjab.

In the reports submitted by the Central Pollution Control Board and the Central Ground Water Board the water samples taken from various sites, including the private and IPH water sources in Himachal villages, were found fit for irrigation and drinking purposes and within the parameters fixed for potable water. The PH of water was found to vary between 7.12 and 7.66 which was within the permissible limits of 6.5 to 8.5.

However, the soil samples were found to be acidic. The committee, however, could not attribute any reason that made the soil acidic.

The NGT, while disposing of the petition, has ordered the project proponents of PACL to reclaim the soil in affected villages and director agriculture to submit report within two months.

Contamination by PACL alleged

The residents of Malakpur and Veenawal villages in Una district had moved the NGT alleging that the Punjab Alkalis and Chemicals Ltd unit was discharging polluted chemical effluents and contaminatng their agriculture land, which has become uncultivable.

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