Despite NGT order, no end to water pollution: Fazilka residents

Seechewal inspects border villages, PPCB seeks report

Our Correspondent

Fazilka, July 4

Around one and a half years after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) fixed March 31, 2021, as the deadline to curb water pollution in Fazilka’s border areas, Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) member and environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal visited the villages on Saturday to review the situation of contaminated water being flown into the drains.

The state monitoring committee of the NGT during its two-day visit to Fazilka on January 7 and 8, 2020, had directed officials to ensure that no untreated water was allowed to flow into the drains but nothing concrete had emerged so far, it is learnt.

Seechewal interacted with affected residents of border villages of Mohar Jamsher which is surrounded by Pakistan from three sides, along with residents of Sureshwala, Awa, Kabulshah, Noor Samand, Gharumi, Mumbeki and Mohar Sona villages.

Shaminder Singh, sarpanch of Awa village, alleged untreated water of Moga, Ferozepur, Faridkot and Muktsar was being flown into 22 small and big seepage drains which terminated in this area as a result of which the sub-soil water had been rendered unfit for human consumption and for irrigational purposes. Besides, industrial effluents were also flown into the drain.

Ramandeep Singh, executive engineer, PPCB, Faridkot, who accompanied Seechewal, claimed the deadlines for different departments of completing their respective works like construction of sewage treatment plants, etc, had been fixed and the officials concerned shall submit their reports before the NGT by September 30, 2021. The next date of hearing has been fixed by the commission for October 29 to monitor the projects.