Chandigarh, April 5
The life of N-Choe, a prized landmark in the original terrain of the City Beautiful retained by master architect Le Corbusier, is fast reaching a point of no return.

While it is impossible to think of water fit for even animal consumption near the exit point, the seemingly clear water near the Punjab and Haryana High Court is also unfit for consumption even by the marine population, what to say about humans.

The “choe” water does meet the safety standards as per the bio-chemical oxygen demand (BOD), the chemical oxygen demand (COD) or the dissolved oxygen (DO) tests conducted by the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee every month. The COD and BOD tests determine the organic pollutants in surface water bodies. More dissolved oxygen (DO) means better quality for drinking.

During a random inspection, The Tribune correspondent witnessed sewer flow from the MLA Hostel to the Bougainvillea Garden. The stench is nauseating in Leisure valley, Sector 10, particularly in early morning and late evening hours. The “choe” starts getting darker from Sector 23 onwards, till it turns pitch black near Kajheri. Here, the water is full of household and human waste.

Pradeep Chhabra, a former Mayor, said, “We all need to put our heads together and prevent a definite catastrophe. After a recent visit to Kajheri, I thought what reply will I have for our kids when they grow up and ask us who all were guilty of blackening a clear stream.”

Chand Singh Madaan, an eminent social scientist, said, “During the era of committees, I am not sure what to expect from the authorities to ensure a quick action.”

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