ADMN TO STOP INFLOW OF EFFLUENTS INTO KALA
SANGHIAN BY MARCH 31.
The district
administration on Friday announced to plug the inflow of industri- al
effluents and Municipal Corporation waste into the Kala Sanghian drain
by March 31.
Environmentalist
and Punjab Pollution Control Board mem- ber Baba Balbir Singh
Seechewal had on Thursday threatened to plug the outlets on February
22. The plan has been put off for now.
Deputy
Commissioner Ajeet Singh Pannu issued directions to officials to take
samples from industrial units to stop the inflow of untreated
effluents and waste into the drain.
The announcement
came at a meeting presided over by Pannu, MC Commissioner Vinay
Bublani, ADC Gurpreet Singh Khaira, Executive Engineer of PPCB Harbir
Singh and Seechewal.
Criticising the
PPCB bureau- cracy, MC officials and the dis- trict administration,
Seechewal said untreated effluents were proving fatal in villages
situ- ated alongside the drain, while several residents had report- ed
ill.
Harbir Singh
said the pollu- tion control board had start- ed the process of taking
sam- ples from industrial units. "A total of 60 units in Focal Point,
Industrial Area, Basti Area and Sports and Surgical Complex have been
identified and PPCB will complete the sampling process by February 28.
After that, action would be taken against the faulty units," he said,
adding that if the MC did not put in place its 11-km sewerage by March
31, its officials would be prosecuted.
Superintending
Engineer V.P. Singh said the sewerage work alongside the drain would
end by March 31. "In April, the waste will go to the treatment plant
at Folriwal," he added.
Deputy
Commissioner Pannu said there were 11 outlets from where the untreated
effluents and polluted waste flowed into the drain. "By the end of
March, eight outlets will be shut and temporary arrangements made for
the remaining," he added.
