Raj Sadosh/Abohar.
Even when environmentalists and farmers’ organisations claimed that contaminated water flowing from Punjab through Indira Gandhi Canal and Gang Canal had spread cancer, the Rajasthan government finds no evidence in it.
In response to a special mention proposal raised under Rule 295 of the Assembly by Sri Karanpur MLA and Sriganganagar District Congress Committee President Rupinder Singh Ruby, the govt said that no authentic evidence has been established so far linking the contaminated water to cancer or any other serious disease.
According to the state government’s officials, polluted water from Ludhiana is being discharged into the Sutlej River through the Buddha Nala. Sewage water and industrial waste from Jalandhar, Nakodar, and Phagwara are also mixing into the Sutlej River. This water is reaching Rajasthan’s canals through the Harike Barrage.
The state government has been continuously making efforts at the inter-state level to resolve this issue. Regular letters have been sent to the Punjab government demanding effective steps to stop the flow of contaminated water. Continuous monitoring of 53 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in the Sutlej River catchment area is being carried out, and construction of new plants is also progressing rapidly.
The government further informed that the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) is regularly testing all parameters of water coming through the canal systems in Sriganganagar district. The Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) has clarified, based on available information, that no confirmed cases of cancer or other diseases caused by contaminated water have been reported till date.
The govt claimed that it is continuously working towards a permanent solution to the contaminated water problem. The issue is also being prominently raised in inter-state meetings, and cooperation is being sought from the Punjab government.
MLA Rupinder Singh Ruby had raised this issue keeping in view the long-standing concerns of the farmers and common people of the region. Although the government’s official stand is clear that no proven health hazard has been found so far, monitoring and resolution efforts are being further strengthened.
