Punjab: Organization vows to stop pollution in Budha Nala on its own

Punjab: Leaders of Kaale Paani Da Morcha, who are protesting against severe pollution in Budha Nullah in Ludhiana, today said that since the state government has failed to stop the flow of pollutants into the water body, they will now do it themselves. “Our agitation started on June 18 this year and we had asked the state government to take action in this regard by September 15. Since nothing has been done so far, we will now stop this pollution ourselves,” said Morcha leader Jaskirat Singh. “Despite spending over Rs 650 crore on treating the polluted water, it remains poisonous,” he said. Leaders of various political parties extended support to their protest and gathered at the Punjab University’s Swarna Jayanti Hall today to be part of a seminar organised by the Morcha members. Despite being invited, no AAP representative turned up at the event, an organiser said. Targeting successive governments for their alleged failure to curb environmental pollution, Morcha leader Col JS Gill (retd) said, “Political parties have failed to take action against industrialists responsible for water pollution as they finance their political campaigns.” Another leader of the protest group, Dr Amandeep Bains, said, “The Central Pollution Control Board has also found that industrial units do not have permission to release chemicals into the water body, but no action has been taken by the state in this regard.” Congress MLA from Jalandhar Cantt Pargat Singh said the problem was not limited to Budha Nallah alone but to over 1,200 water bodies across the state. Simranjit Singh Mann of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), former MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder of Shiromani Akali Dal and Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali, former IAS officer SS Channi from BJP and Balwinder Kumar from Bahujan Samaj Party also spoke on the occasion.