Notice to farm varsity, CSIR on ‘plastic nullah’ issue

Ravinder Sood
PALAMPUR, March 14

The State Pollution Control Board and the Environment Department on Thursday served show-cause notices on Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University (HPAU) and the CSIR, Palampur, on the issue of large-scale dumping of plastic in a water channel passing through the university.

The Executive Engineer, PCB, said action had been initiated following a news report appearing in The Tribune with pictures pertaining to large-scale dumping of plastic waste in the water channel passing through the university and the CSIR.

The official said he along with his team personally visited the spot and witnessed dumping of tonnes of plastic in the water channel passing through the university, resulting in pollution, contamination of water bodies, affecting a large chunk of university land and filling its check dams. He termed it a serious matter and assured strict action against the culprits. He said the matter was under investigation and the PCB was seeking the help of panchayats and local residents. He said plastic was not dumped in a day or month, it was being dumped for the past one or two years, but the agriculture university and the CSIR remained unconcerned with the situation and allowed the the dumping of plastic in the water channel.

He said despite the fact the university was directly affected because of large- scale pollution, it remained a mute spectator and ignored even the letters written to the university authorities by junior officials.

He said both HPAU and CSIR should have brought the matter to the notice of the PCB or the SDM, Palampur, so that dumping could have been checked. He said the PCB came to know only when The Tribune highlighted the issue last week.

Vivek Chauhan, BDO, Panchrukhi, said when the matter was brought to his notice by local environmentalists he visited the site where tonnes of garbage was seen flowing in a water channel. He directed the Banuri panchayat to lodge a complaint at the Palampur police station. However, the police are yet to start investigations.

He said he had also met the Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar in this regard and sought action against the culprits. Chauhan said action should be taken against the culprits and police should registered a case under the provisions of PCB laws.

Authorities remained mute spectators

• Executive Engineer, PCB, said that plastic was not dumped in a day or month, it was being dumped for the past one or two years but HP Agriculture University and the CSIR remained unconcerned with the situation and allowed the dumping of plastic in the water channel. 
• He said despite the fact university was directly affected because of large scale pollution it remained a mute spectator and ignored even the letters written to university authorities by junior officers.