Outfit resolves to check pollution in Buddha Nullah on its own

Leaders of the Kaale Paani Da Morcha, a group protesting against severe pollution in the Budda Nullah of Ludhiana, today said since the state had failed to stop the flow of pollutants into the water body, they would now do that on their own.

“Our agitation started on June 18 this year and we asked the state government to take an action in that regard by September 15. Since nothing has been done so far, we will put a stop to this pollution on our own now,” said Jaskirat Singh, a morcha leader. “Despite spending over Rs 650 crore to treat polluted water, it continues to be toxic,” he added.

Leaders of various political parties extended support to their protests and assembled to be part of the seminar held by the morcha members in the Golden Jubilee Hall of Panjab University today. An organiser said despite being invited, no AAP representative turned up at the event.

Targeting successive governments over their alleged failure to check environmental pollution, morcha leader Colonel JS Gill (Retd) said, “Political parties failed to act against industrialists responsible for water pollution since they funded their political campaigns.”

“The Central Pollution Control Board has also observed that the industrial units are not allowed to discharge chemicals into the water body, but no action has been taken by the state in this regard,” said Dr Amandeep Bains, another leader of the protesting group.

Congress MLA from Jalandhar Cantt Pargat Singh said the problem was not limited to only Buddha Nullah, but to over 1,200 water bodies across the state.

Simranjit Singh Mann of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), former MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder and Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali from the Shiromani Akali Dal, former IAS officer SS Channy from the BJP and Balwinder Kumar from the Bahujan Samaj Party also spoke on the occasion.