Chandigarh: The Punjab government recently identified at least 1,223 sources responsible for polluting the state’s water bodies. Amritsar has been marked as the most polluted city, with 390 sources, while Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district, Sangrur, ranks second among the polluted cities of the state with 159 sources.
On August 23, Krishan Kumar, Principal Secretary of Water Resources, sent a report to all Deputy Commissioners, urging them to take action to stop water pollution in their respective districts. Environmentalist Col Jasjit Gill (retd), who is leading a campaign to clean the Buddha Nullah, a Sutlej tributary in Ludhiana, said that the report of pollution is an eye opener, saying the next step is to identify the polluters.
Kumar highlighted that this will be considered a violation of the Water Pollution Act and the Northern India Canals and Drainage Act of 1873. He went on to say that untreated water from villages, municipal bodies, and other organizations is simply thrown into rivers and drains, which is responsible for pollution in water bodies in the state. The Water Resources Department has taken a tough stand this time and has collected information from all districts to overcome water pollution in the state.
The situation in Punjab is deteriorating with every passing day. The need of the hour is to start an awareness campaign to alert people regarding pollution in the water bodies and its harmful effects on our environment, besides our health as well.
