Rising pollution may soon sound death knell for Tawi

Vikram Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 22

While Earth Day is being celebrated across the world today to demonstrate support for environmental protection, a look at Tawi River, also known as Suryaputri, presents a picture of neglect.

A major left bank tributary of Chenab River, the river is dying a slow death. The total length of the river is 141 km and its originates from the lap of the Kali Kundi glacier and adjoining area, South-West of Bhadarwah in Doda district. The catchment area of the river up to International Border in Jammu is 2,168 km² and falls in the districts of Jammu, Udhampur and small part of Doda.

However, the river that is considered holy and sacred has turned into a dumping ground for untreated liquid and solid waste. The biochemical oxygen demand, which reflects the health of a river, has increased above permissible limits.

The dumping of garbage at some places has reached such an alarming state that even six filtration plants along Sitli I, II, III and IV and Boria I and II have failed to serve the purpose, resulting in diversion of filthy water.

Sources said illegal mining under the noose of “corrupt politicians and civic officials” was also wreaking havoc and might soon sound the death knell for the river.

Ashwani Sharma, president of the Tawi Bachao Andolan, said despite regular visits by the authorities concerned to check encroachments on the river, not much had been done so far.

Bhushan Parimoo, an environmentalist, said, social organisations and NGOs had started a “Save Tawi’ campaign under which awareness programmes were conducted on a regular basis. Recently, a ban on the use of polythene bags near the riverbed on religious occasions was imposed. However, a strict administrative control was required to check pollution levels in the river.

He said although the government had set up three sewage treatment plants at Bhagwati Nagar, these were running below capacities.

Dangerous limits

There are 368 hazardous waste-generating units, as per a report, titled, ‘An overview of hazardous waste management in Jammu province’, published by the Hazardous Waste Management Division, J&K State Pollution Control Board, Jammu. The total hazardous waste generated in Jammu province is 15,232.75 MTA (metric tonnes annually), of which 7,032.292 (46 %) MTA is landfillable, 8,037.42 (53%) MTA is recyclable and 163.04 (1%) MTA is incinerable