Shimla, June 8
The state Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board has filed a criminal case against the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) which is continuing to discharge silt-laden water from its reservoirs in the Balh valley destroying fertile lands of farmers.
According to Dr Rajiv Bindal, Chairman of the pollution control board, the case has been filed in the court of the Judicial Magistrate, Sundernagar, under the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act on account of unabated pollution of water in the Balh valley of Mandi district by the discharge of highly polluted and silt-laden water from the balancing reservoir of the Beas-Satlej Link (BSL) at Sundernagar.
The complaint has been filed against BBMB Chairman and the Chief Engineer of the BSL project. According to Dr Bindal the need for a complaint arose as the BBMB has not taken any steps to implement the environment management plan prepared by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur.
Mr Nagin Nanda, member secretary of the pollution control board, said directions were issued to the BBMB for suspending desilting operations from the balancing reservoir in Sundernagar in July 1998. The BBMB agreed to prepare an environment management plan. The discharge of silt-laden water from the BSL project has caused widespread adverse environmental impact, including socio-economic consequences, besides the pollution of water sources in Mandi district.
According to the assessment made by NEERI in its report, the annual silt load from the project has been estimated at 8,00,000 cubic metres and the land which has been affected in the valley due to the activities of the project has been assessed at 184 hectares. Thousands of small farmers are deprived of the produce which they were getting from their land due to the spreading of the silt over their fields.
Dr Bindal said although NEERI had submitted its environmental management plan, recommending measures to be adopted for the disposal of silt in December 2000, the BBMB has failed to take steps to implement these recommendations.
The pollution control board had been pursuing the matter with the management for the implementation of the recommendations by way of letters, notices and meetings but no action had been taken.
