Boards with warning “Water is not fit for drinking” would be installed near Ghaggar
NGT constituted Executive Committee submitted WARNINGS in its second report
M4PNews|Chandigarh
Soon, people of Punjab and Haryana residing near Ghaggar river would see WARNING BOARDS saying, “This water is not fit for Drinking”. People in Punjab-Haryana, who are residing near Ghaggar River or in transverse of 500 m of it , are suggested to be vigil for drinking water. This is in regard to the pollutants that are being thrown/discharged in Ghaggar river from Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh. NGT in its suo motto have constituted an Executive Committee under Justice Pritampal Singh, Former Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court. This committee have ordered responsible stakeholders to instal boards of unfit water near Ghaggar River.
The Committee has submitted its second report and in the report the committee raised many concerns regarding Ghaggar river and pollutants being discharged in it. It is found in report that Ghaggar river water is not only mix with heavy metal but also highly arsenic to drink. The committee has asked states to constitute teams which will check its water sample on monthly basis. Punjab Pollution Control Board has become more vigil after the strong orders of Central Pollution Control Board to act seriously on this.
The ground water samples along the River Ghaggar upto the transverse distance of 500 m on both sides (Banks) of the river Ghaggar and after every 5 km along the River must be collected by each State Pollution Control Board / Committee on quarterly basis and report be submitted in the monthly meeting of the Executive Committee. Wherever, the ground water samples are found to be non-complying to the BIS drinking water norms prescribed under IS: 10500-2012, the particular ground water source must be sealed/ capped and display board mentioning ‘water is not fit for drinking’may be placed at all such point sources. The concerned Government agency like Water Supply & Sanitation and / or Local Bodies be directed to supply the safe drinking water to the inhabitants / villagers / towns whose point source has been sealed.
It was apprised that the groundwater samples are being collected. In the month of January and February, 2019, 06 samples of groundwater in each month have been collected and these have been analyzed for the parameters pH, Suspended Solids, BOD, COD, calcium and magnesium. The results have been alarming. The chairperson directed the District Level Special Task Force to analyze the quality of groundwater for the organic, inorganic, heavy metal and fecal Coliform so as to get the realistic data with regard to quality of drinking water.