Farmers threatened to close Budha Nala on December 3

Punjab: Activists from Punjab supported the ‘Freedom from Poison’ programme at a meeting held at the new grain market in Sri Ganganagar late last evening. Advocate Subhash Sehgal, spokesperson of the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti (KSS) and Krishan Meel, former president of the Samyukta Vyapar Mandal, who chaired the meeting, told The Tribune today that the poisonous canal water flowing from Punjab to 10 districts of western Rajasthan has put the region at risk of cancer, besides harming agricultural produce. Punjabi film director Amitoj Mann and social activist Lakhvir Singh alias Lakha Sidhana from Bathinda supported the call to reach Ludhiana on December 3 for direct action to close Budha Nala. The meeting also resolved to organise a bandh in Sri Ganganagar on November 9 on the issue. Amitoj Mann said Budha Nala near Ludhiana has become a drain of dirty water. Dirty water from industrial units and sewerage is released into the drain. After this, about 9 crore liters of dirty and chemical-laden water is dumped into the Sutlej. Despite many movements of the public, the Punjab government, Punjab Pollution Control Board and National Green Tribunal (NGT) did practically nothing except imposing fines. Last August, it was decided to close down illegal factories on Budha Nala, but these factories are still running. It is better to fight for this issue than to die of serious diseases in the future. We should plan to provide pure water to the coming generations. Sidhana said that dirty water is as dangerous for Rajasthan as it is for the people of Punjab. There is a need for broad unity on this issue. Also, medical drugs business is going on in a planned manner in Punjab and neighboring areas of Haryana and Rajasthan. Youths below the age of 20 are being pushed into this quagmire. Maninder Singh Mann, convener of the Jahar Se Mukti Abhiyan, said that efforts will be made to take the fight against dirty water to other districts of Rajasthan as well. About 1.75 crore people from 7,500 villages use this water for drinking from the Indira Gandhi Canal Project (IGNP) alone. Sehgal said successive governments in Punjab had been announcing programmes to clean up Budha Nullah but the black water was entering the Satluj at an alarming rate.