Jairam kicks off Buddha Nallah clean-up project

As per the Punjab Pollution Control Board,nearly 92 industrial units in the area have been issued closure notices for polluting the nallah. However,there was still no decision regarding the rest of the units discharging effluents into the nallah through the Municipal Corporation sewer.

Ramesh,while addressing a gathering,also admitted that the sewerage treatment plant (STP) at Jamalpur was not working properly and industrail effluents were coming in this STP. “This problem can be eradicated within 18 months after the installation of common effluent treatment for the textile units,” he said.

The pollution is resulting in diseases like cancer,respiratory disorders and Hepatitis among others,not only in thousands of residents across the Malwa region,but in neighbouring state of Rajasthan as well.

S P Gautam,Chairman of Central Pollution Control Board,said: “We are putting all kinds of bacteria in the water,which will multiply in all types of weather conditions. We need to continuously supply these bacteria for a year. Later,they will act on their own to clean the system. Filters will be set up at a distance of 1 km each to clean the water. No electricity is required in the treatment process. Later,this treated water will be given to farmers for irrigation purposes.” “Though trials have been conducted at a few places,this is the first time that such a technology is being used to clean up the most polluted drain of Malwa region,” said MP Manish Tiwari,who had urged Ramesh to start this project.

Don’t blame Centre,implement projects: Minster

LUDHIANA: While speaking about projects in Punjab,Ramesh said that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his Deputy Sukhbir Badal had come to see him a number of times and he has reminded them to be swift in implementing projects,rather than blaming the Centre. “In the last 12 years,our ministry has given Rs 213 crore to the state to clean its rivers. While in the last one year,projects worth Rs 290-crore projects have been sanctioned,in the next three months,projects worth Rs 316-crore will be approved. So,money is not an issue,but the state’s responsibility lies in utilising it in the right direction.” Ramesh admitted that the Centre was not being able to effectively monitor whether the sanctioned fund is being proper utilised. He stated that groundwater pollution and other factors have turned Bhatinda into a “cancer belt”,so steps need to be taken to control pollution. He,however,was adamant not to ban Endosulphan in farming practices.”I need proper information. Except for one district in Kerala,it has not led to damages in the rest of country.”