Led by Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, people will
block the Kala Sanghian drain, which is a big source of pollution of
the Sutlej and various canals flowing to the Malwa region and
Rajasthan, on February 22, near here. The drain that travels 45 km
through the Doaba belt, before falling into the Chitti Bein, a choe,
will be blocked at at least three places.
Talking to The Tribune, Sant Seechewal said here
today that he had given two years to the government authorities to
take measures to stop the flow of toxic effluents of various
industries into the drain.
The ultimatum in this connection was given to
the district administration on February 22, 2008. Afterwards, a
meeting with officials of the local municipal corporation, the Punjab
Pollution Control Board, Industry Development Board, industrialists
and others was also held to request them not to release toxic
effluents into the drain. However, as nothing was done in this regard
for the past two years, there was no alternative left except to block
the drain.
“I want to make
it clear that I am not against any industry. I am all for the
expansion of the industry in this area. But I am opposed to the flow
of toxic substances into drains and rivers. Flow of such substances
had been causing cancer in the Malwa belt,” he said. From Harike
headworks, the Sutlej water flows to some parts of the Malwa belt and Rajasthan,
he added.
Harike was on the best wetlands in the world.
Flow of toxic water into that wetland had adversely affected the
growth of fish. Even arrival of migratory birds in the Harike
Sanctuary had been affected.
Seechewal said, “I gave several reminders to
them to stop the flow of industrial and municipal waste into the
drain, but all that failed to move the authorities concerned.” Keeping
in view the grave situation, the decision had been taken to block the
drain to save innocent people from the ill effects of the polluted
water.
