Activists visit confluence of Buddha Nullah, Sutlej; focus on pollution of river
Ludhiana, July 15
“Can those responsible for polluting clean water bodies of the state look into the eyes of their children and grandchildren and say that it is alright to poison drinking water of millions for their profit,” asks Kanwar Grewal, popular Indian Sufi singer, who, along with other eminent personalities, visited the confluence point of the polluted Buddha Nullah and the Sutlej in Walipur village, near Hambran, here, last evening.
Under the banner of ‘Kale Pani da Morcha’, the Naroa Punjab Manch, PAC, Mattewara, and Punjab Vatavarn Chetna Lehar, many scholars who feel the pain of Punjab, held an on-camera discussion about the pollution of the Sutlej at the confluence of the Buddha Dariya and the river.
Seeing the Buddha Dariya water falling into the Sutlej, Grewal said: “I really wonder if discussions would provide any solution to the menace,” Grewal said.
Jaskirat Singh of the Naroa Punjab Manch said it was a tragedy of the state that be it a liquor factory in Zira or Buddha Dariya in Ludhiana, both are poisoning the waters of the state. For this, the industry and the Punjab Pollution Control Board are hand in gloves with each other, alleged Singh, adding that the unholy nexus needs to be broken to end pollution in the state rivers.
Famous film director Amitoj Mann, while anchoring the discussion, said there were huge industries across the world but such pollution was not seen anywhere. Even in Tamil Nadu, polluting dye factories have either been closed down or shifted to zero liquid discharge technology so that they did not pollute rivers and the groundwater.
Agricultural economist Devinder Sharma said polluting rivers had been increasing the GDP as factories make profit and hospitals make money. Even cleaning contractors also make profits due to the same. On the contrary, keeping rivers clean does not increase the GDP. It is an utterly strange economic model. Bhai Mandhir Singh alleged that the bureaucracy was happy to keep the rivers polluted as it benefits them personally. Participants also stated that ‘Kale Pani Da Morcha’ would organise ‘Freedom from pollution’ – a protest march on August 15 in Ludhiana.
