Check release of effluents into Punjab water bodies: Bains to Himachal CM

After the controversy over damage to Himachal Pradesh buses in Punjab, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains today accused the hill state of carelessly releasing industrial effluents in the state water bodies. He has shot off a letter to HP Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for swift and stringent action to address the environmental and public health issue.

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Bains also reached out to the Chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Member Secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to resolve this matter at the earliest to safeguard public health in the state, particularly in his constituency Anandpur Sahib.

In his communication, he highlighted the results of tests conducted by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), which revealed that hazardous industrial waste flowing from HP industrial zones into Swan and Barmala Khud are eventually merging into the Sutlej. He emphasised on the gravity of the situation while quoting the incident in Barmala Khud where multiple wild pigs succumbed to intoxication caused by contaminated water.

In the letter to Sukhu, Bains referenced PPCB reports and numerous complaints from residents of his constituency, seeking his personal intervention to halt the discharge of untreated effluents into Punjab's water bodies. He demanded strict action against the industries responsible for pollution, besides seeking immediate closure of industries violating pollution norms. He also sought the NGT’s directions to HP authorities regarding implementation of stringent pollution control measures ensuring compliance of environmental regulations. He also demanded for necessary orders to monitor and remediate the affected water bodies, including the Swan riverbed, Barmala Khud and the Sutlej.