Thick froth on Baddi’s Balad river as units let out effluents

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, August 31

Taking advantage of the ongoing rain some industrial units in the Baddi industrial area let out untreated effluents in Balad river on Friday morning. Thick toxic-ridden froth could be seen flowing on the river surface.

The froth continued to flow on the water for several hours till afternoon adversely affecting aquatic flora and fauna. The Balad river further confluences into Sirsa river and the water quality of both the rivers was adversely affected by the release of the effluents.

Blatantly letting out of untreated effluents into the river has put a question mark over the regulatory authorities as lack of punitive action against such erring units in the past has emboldened them.

Executive Engineer, State Pollution Control Board, Baddi, Avinash Sharda, when quizzed, said the entire Balad river was tracked by a team of officials to see the extent of froth soon after information was received about the incident.

He said that a major leakage had also occurred in the chamber of the common effluent treatment plant at Lakker Depot. This had led to large-scale froth formation in the Balad river.

A show cause notice has been served on the plant management under the Prevention of Water Pollution Act to explain why they had failed to prevent the large-scale leakage which had caused immense damage to the environment.

He said water samples from four sites in the river had been drawn and their lab analysis would help ascertain the cause of the froth.

No sample has, however, been drawn from the site of the leakage. This will fail to assess the extent of damage caused to the soil and water on its periphery.

Apart from acting against the CETP, four industrial units lying on the periphery of Balad river have been served show cause notice for failing to adopt optimum measures to contain pollution. The officials have also recommended disconnection of power supply of four other units which include cosmetic, pharmaceutical manufacturers and a metal finishing unit as they were found defaulting in operating their effluent treatment plants and had let out untreated effluents into the river during rains.

Show cause notices have also been served on four other units in the vicinity of the Balad river as their effluent treatment plants were found lacking, informed Sharda.

The working of the Common Effluent Treatment Plant has also come under scanner as this plant was supposed to ensure safe disposal of the industrial effluents, resulting in a disaster in this industrial belt which houses 89 per cent of the state’s industries.

Though small incidents of froth formation on the rivers have been witnessed in the past, this was the biggest environment disaster witnessed in the area ever since the industrialisation began in the area.

Show-cause notices served

• A show-cause notice has been served on the common effluent treatment plant management under the Prevention of Water Pollution Act.
• Show cause notices have also been served on four other units as their effluent treatment plants were found lacking.
• Four industrial units have also been served show cause notice for failing to adopt optimum measures to contain pollution. 
• Disconnection of power supply of four other units has been recommended as they were found defaulting in operating their effluent treatment plants.