Effluent Mess: Industrial waste draining into Yamuna river, villagers suffer

Tribune News Service

Parveen Arora

Karnal, May 24

Dhanora escape, a drain constructed to divert extra water of the Western Yamuna Canal and surplus rainwater to the Yamuna, continues to haunt residents living in the vicinity due to contaminated water in it. The drain has also become a headache for the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) as it is polluting the Yamuna by discharging polluted water containing toxic waste of industries in Yamunanagar, said an official.

Two treatment plants coming up

Treated and untreated water from industries of Yamunanagar is discharged into the drain, but in the coming days, only treated water would flow into it as a 30 MLD CTP-cum-STP and a CTP for metal industry are being constructed in Yamunanagar and Jagadhri. SK Arora, Regional Officer, HSPCB, Karnal

Residents claim that the problem had been unresolved for the past several years, despite raising the issue at different platforms. They say the drain is deteriorating the quality of groundwater and animals and people are suffering from skin diseases due to polluted groundwater. Besides, the foul smell has made their lives miserable.

“Toxic waste by the industries of Yamunanagar is being discharged into this drain. The groundwater quality is deteriorating, and in several patches, the water is not fit for consumption,” says Pardeep Kumar, a local resident.

“We have raised the issue of toxic waste in the drain with different authorities, but to no avail. The government must take action,” says Raj Kumar, another resident.

Before entering the Yamuna, Dhanora escape passes through Kalri Jagir, Khukni, Mukhala, Mukhali, Chandrao, Dabkoli, Nabipur and other villages.

The HSPCB says the flow of toxic waste would be curtailed soon. “Treated and untreated water from industries of Yamunanagar is discharged into this drain, but in the coming days, only treated water would flow into the drain as a 30 MLD CTP-cum-STP and a CTP for metal industry are being constructed in Yamunanagar and Jagadhri,” says SK Arora, Regional Officer, HSPCB, Karnal.

“We monitor the water quality of the drain before it enters Karnal district and the Yamuna. Due to efforts of the pollution control board in Yamunanagar, the toxic content has been reduced over the past couple of years. Earlier, the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) was over 30, and now, it has been reduced between 10 and 20 BOD,” he states.

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