Punjab: Social activists protest against canal water pollution
Punjab: Several social activists on Tuesday staged a sit-in outside Nehru Park in Abohar to show solidarity with the Jahar Se Mukti Abhiyan. They condemned factories regularly discharging chemical-laden water into Ludhiana’s Budha Nullah. Those present at the protest included Kamal Kishor Khurana, Rajinder Kaur, Sukhjit Singh Danewalia, Rakesh Sachdeva, Sudhir Bhadu, Ravinder Singh Gill, Surinder Singh Dhingawali, Chanpreet Singh Khalsa, Subhash Baghla and Krishan Lal Jodha. They sent a memorandum to the government through subdivisional magistrate Krishan Pal Rajput demanding that the decades-old illegal practice of factories discharging chemical-laden water into the Sutlej and Harike through the Budha Nullah should be stopped.
They said that discharging dirty water into the canals is a clear violation of the Water Act 1974. The protesters also cited disturbing reports of widespread health problems due to polluted water. According to those present, nearly half the population of Gidderwali village had jaundice and six people died of cancer in Shergarh village. 67 cancer patients were identified in Dangar Kheda village, of which 11 died. Besides, dead cattle, chickens and thousands of fish were seen floating in canals due to toxic water in Nai Abadi village. In a related incident, farmer leader Sukhjinder Singh Rajan was detained by the police from inside his house on Monday night. A bus carrying farmers was also stopped by the police near the Truck Operators Union in Abohar on Tuesday morning.
