Environmental activists, including former jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib Giani Kewal Singh, actor-director Amitoj Mann, Lakha Sidhana, Gurpreet Singh Chandbaja and others raised their voice for the protection of the Sutlej, which is being polluted by releasing highly toxic and visibly black waters through the Buddha Nullah (Buddha Dariya) and the Bhattian STP drain.
The activists blamed the poisonous waters being released into the water bodies as a big threat to generations in Punjab, which was known as the land of the rivers. They demanded that the state government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, must take steps to protect the Sutlej, Buddha Nullah and other water bodies from pollution.
They said the government must ensure proper functioning of all STPs and CETPs. The environmental activists visited the Buddha Nullah and the Jamalpur STP site on Tajpur Road here this morning. The highly stinking and polluted water was being dumped into the nullah at this site and it was even difficult to stand there.
They then visited Kasabad village where the visibly black and stinking water from the Bhattian STP was being released through a drain into the Sutlej. The activists questioned the role of the PPCB, MC and other departments for failing to stop pollution.
The activists appealed to the people to come forward and make a ‘jan andolan’ to save the waters of the state from pollution. Some activists also raised a demand that dyeing units that were ‘polluting’ the Sutlej and the nullah should be shut down.
