Rs 2K-crore fine could have been avoided, says Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal

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Jalandhar, September 28

Environmentalist and Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal on Friday held a meeting with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Chandigarh on the issue of the depleting water resources of the state.

During the meeting, Sant Seechewal said Punjab is passing through a very critical phase in terms of environment. Its water has become polluted and poisonous. We all need to work together to make the rivers of Punjab pollution free so that the future of our coming generations can be secured. During the meeting, Sant Seechewal discussed with the Chief Minister about the contaminated underground water including Holy Bein, Chitti Bein, Budha Darya, Kala Sanghya Drain.

He said that the rivers and streams of Punjab were getting polluted as the administrative officers had not performed their duty. He appealed to the Chief Minister that the responsibility of the officers should be fixed.

Seechewal is a member of the monitoring committee constituted by the NGT andPunjab was fined by the tribunal on the basis of the report of this committee. Referring to the Rs 2,000 crore fine imposed by the NGT on Punjab, Sant Balbir Singh said the fine could have been avoided had the authorities played a role in implementing the Water Act 1974. Appealing to the Chief Minister, Seechewal said clean water should be released from Alawalpur in 200 cusecs in Chitti Bein and Kala Sanghya drain.

Referring to the Holy Bein project, Seechewal said for the last several years, the meeting on the Holy Bein Project made by the government is not being held, keeping this in mind, a meeting should be convened. The CM assured him of sincere efforts to conserve environment.