Untreated waste discharge pollutes Ratta khud in Baddi
Effluent release triggers heavy frothing in critically polluted stream
In an apparent violation of environmental norms, a large quantity of untreated industrial effluent was discharged into the Ratta khud at Bhud village in the Baddi industrial area this morning.
The effluent generated copious amounts of froth, polluting the water in the khud. It continued to flow for nearly half an hour, raising concerns over compliance with environmental norms by industrial units operating in the area.
Gurdyal Singh, a member of environmental organisation Him Parivesh, who raised the alarm, alleged that toxic, chemical-laden waste was being discharged into the Ratta khud by industrial units taking advantage of the holiday. He alleged that such pollution was contributing to various diseases, including cancer, in the area.
Blaming officials of the State Pollution Control Board as well as the local Sub-Divisional Magistrate for failing to initiate any action, he lamented that foul-smelling chemical waste was being openly dumped into rivers while the administration was asleep.
No samples could be collected on Sunday as it was a holiday, which may hamper efforts to identify the culprit, local residents said.
Marked as a highly polluting stretch, the Ratta river has been classified under Priority-I by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This indicates a catastrophic ecological condition where Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels exceed 30.1 mg per litre – exponentially higher than the safe limit of 3 mg/L. Such high BOD levels exhaust dissolved oxygen, turning the stretch into a hypoxic aquatic dead zone.
In 2018, the same stretch was classified under Priority-III, when BOD levels ranged between 8 and 16 mg per litre, already far above the safe limit of 3 mg per litre.
The river’s water quality has deteriorated significantly over the last eight years, with board officials failing to check such open dumping of toxic waste into the river.
Notwithstanding the fact that Punjab residents have raised environmental concerns about the deteriorating water quality of the Sutlej river in Rupnagar area of Punjab, officials are yet to act against erring units.
Pertinently, the Ratta river merges with the Sirsa river, which joins the Sutlej in Punjab.
A district-level River Rejuvenation Committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner is supposed to periodically monitor the water quality of rivers such as the Ratta and Sirsa on a quarterly basis. The meeting has not taken place for several months, raising questions about the commitment of officials to addressing water pollution.
Deputy Commissioner Solan Manmohan Sharma said, as per an inquiry conducted by officials of the State Pollution Control Board, one tanker was identified for dumping industrial waste at Ratta khud this morning.
The tanker was caught while returning from the site. It had brought waste from an industrial unit located in a nearby village, though the driver managed to flee.
“A police complaint will be lodged tomorrow, as there is an organised disposal point being used by these tankers. Three suspicious units were inspected in connection with the incident,” the DC added.
