Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Apr 14: The Government is contemplating various measures to free Ranbir canal from increasing pollution and, in this regard, directives have been issued by Pollution Control Board (PCB) to various Government agencies engaged in maintenance of the sanitation of the city and its outskirts.
The PCB, which is a regulating authority as well as Irrigation Department have issued notices to Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and Urban Environmental Engineering Department (UEED) to divert the flowing of sewerage water into the canal which is the main source of pollution in it.
The two departments have been urged to divert the sewerage water to HTT Bhagwati Nagar by laying separate pipes instead of throwing the same into the canal. Besides, the notice has also been issued to Regional Research Laboratory (RRL) Jammu by PCB urging it to refrain from throwing the effluents into the canal.
According to official sources, the sewerage water of the city and rural areas are the major causes for making the water of Ranbir canal most polluted and till it was diverted to other side the pollution level will not decrease in the canal.
The PCB has warned action against the defaulters under the Environment Act 2006 which governs air and water pollution and calls for strict action against the defaulters, sources added.
The PCB is afraid that in case the immediate steps are not taken to save the canal the situation will be grave in near future with increasing urbanization.
The Environment Act empowers the concerned agencies to take action against those who are polluting the environment and besides enforcing this act in letter and spirit, the awareness campaign has also been launched among the people by the Government agencies in this regard, said Ravi Tickoo, secretary PCB.
He said the public awareness campaign has already been initiated by the concerned departments including the Irrigation Department and sign boards have been installed at various places.
“The Department has also labeled notices at different places right from canal head to tail asking the people not to throw any organic or inorganic matter into the canal as the same is punishable under law” said, Chief Engineer I&FC, K K Gupta.
He said besides taking up the issue with JMC, UEED and RRL authorities, the meetings have also been held with Sarpanchs and Panchs in rural areas seeking their cooperation in freeing the canal from pollution.
Moreover, with the laying of water pipeline from Canal head to Muthi by ERA, the drainage nullahs will be diverted to other side and this will help in depolluting the canal from sewerage water in this area, he said.
Terming the situation grave, Dr CM Seth, former chairman Pollution Control Board said that immediate steps need to be taken for protecting the canal from the increasing pollution threat. He said the authorities should enforce the Environment Act of 2006 and Solid Waste Act in letter and spirit. These are very strong acts to de -pollute the canal as well as river Tawi and only their proper implementation is needed, he added.
Dr Seth said situation is becoming day by day grave as the city is expanding like any thing and it has grown over three times in last two decades.
He said people and environmentalist need to be involved in the campaign also and a PIL needs to be filed on the pattern of Dal lake in the court of law to free the canal from pollutants.
He said earlier the people were gladly enjoying the Baisakhi mela at canal and watermelon were kept in water for some time to make them cool before eating. “But now this is not possible as the canal has been totally polluted and its position is not better than a drainage nullah of the city,” he added.
However, the Government initiated the move after some environmentalists and NGOs showed their concern over the increasing pollution in the canal which is the life line of Jammu and demanded that immediate measures be taken by Government level to save the canal from pollution threat.
Presently the canal has become the dust bin of Jammu with entire drainage water of catchment areas flowing in it, said Dr GK Gupta, who heads the Save Ranbir canal campaign . Besides all the organic and inorganic waste is also thrown in the canal by the people living in its periphery right from Akhnoor head to RS Pura tail making the water most polluted.
With no check from the Government even the dead animals and polythene bags are also thrown into the canal at various places making the water most contaminated, he said, adding a sustained public campaign is needed to save the canal.
According to the people living in the periphery of canal since its construction from Maharaja’s time, the water of Ranbir canal was used for drinking, cooking meals besides washing clothes and bathing. But the pollution level has reached to such an extent that the people even don’t like to take a bath or wash clothes in it.
“We were using this water for cooking meals over 25 to 30 years back but now we even hesitate in washing hands in the canal as the pollution level has increased to a great extent due to urbanization of Jammu and coming up of new colonies on its banks”, said Prabhu Dayal Gupta a social activist.
“There was no source of drinking water from Akhnoor to Paloura earlier and people living even at a distance of one kilometer from the canal were fetching the water to cook meals or to drink,” he said, “adding now one hesitates even to allow the animals to drink water from the canal due to increasing level of pollution in it.”
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