HC relief for farmers whose land now sewage dump

Arun Sharma

Tribune News Service

Ropar, March 24

Six farmers of Saini Majra village can now heave a sigh of relief as the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the district administration to take immediate steps to stop the drainage of sewage into their land. More than 10 acres of their land has turned into sewage dump as waste material from several villages is being drained into their land.

One of the farmers Capt Swaran Chand Pantola (retd) said sewage was being drained into their land for the last 20 years due to which they had been suffering huge monetary losses every year. The accumulation of sewage near the village was also leading to health hazards for the locals.

Earlier, following the plea by victim farmers, the district administration had formed a three-member committee who in their report filed in July last year submitted that the sewage from Nurpur Khurd, Rurewal and Nurpur Bedi villages was being drained into the private land of farmers. The committee also suggested that the state government should acquire land in the area to set up a sewage treatment plant.

As nothing was done, victim farmers Capt Pantola, Rakesh Kumar, Devinder Singh, Jaspal Singh, Roshan Singh and Virender Kumar approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Disposing of the case, Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa said, “Since the process of acquiring land and setting up a treatment plant will be time consuming, the DC is directed to examine the matter regarding initiating any short-term measure which he may deem fit upon inspecting the spot.”

However, DC Sumeet Jarangal said efforts would be made to address the problem of the complainant farmers.