Pollution in Buddha Dariya affecting subsoil water, public health: Activists

Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 22

Activists of the Public Action Committee (PAC) and representatives of NGOs working for conservation of the environment today expressed concern over alarming level of pollution in Buddha Dariya and degradation of its environs while alleging that these were adversely affecting subsoil water and posing a threat to the public health and the authorities ought to tackle the menace through an effective action plan.

The 10th phase of ‘padyatra’ along the dariya was carried out from the garbage dump near the Daresi cremation ground till the bridge on Old GT Road under the leadership of a social activist and environmentalist, Subhash Chander. Participants, carrying banners and display boards in hands, kept raising slogans calling for an end to pollution, cleaning of the water body, closure of polluting industry and dealing with dairy waste.

The weekly awareness march has been continuing for the past 10 weeks with the objective of strengthening the Rejuvenation Project of Buddha Dariya by drawing attention of citizens, state government and administration on issues and anomalies hampering in the way of success of the venture and causing delay to the project.

PAC member Col CM Lakhanpal said awareness was spread about ill-effects of pollution of Buddha Dariya on the health of people. “On the way, the participants came across many outlets discharging polluted water and effluent with the main polluters being industry, sewage and dairies. Even the last pumping station on the dariya was found to be non-functional and both sides of the water body were devoid of green cover.

Brig Indermohan Singh, Col JS Gill, Maninderjit Singh Bawa, Dr Amandeep Singh Bains, Jaskirat Singh, Dr Neelam Sodhi, Ritu Malhan, Dan Bir Singh, Rajinder Singh Kalra, Mohit Saggar, Sunil Paji, Gurpreet Singh Plaha, Puja Sengupta, Krishnendu Sengupta, RS Arora, Yogesh Khanna and Mahinder Singh Sekhon were among those others present.