Sewage polluting Kaushalya dam: Cong neta writes to CM

Time of India

2 days ago

Panchkula: The water of Kaushalya dam near Pinjore can lead to a serious health hazard because of increasing contamination from sewage and waste dumping, alleged Congress leader and Shivalik Vikas Manch President, advocate
Vijay Bansal
.
Bansal Tuesday sent a formal memorandum to CM Nayab Singh Saini, the NGT, HSVP, and the irrigation and public health departments, urging immediate action to prevent polluted water from entering the dam.
He said the dam, constructed in 2012 at a cost of nearly Rs 150 crore, was intended to provide clean drinking water to Panchkula's urban sectors through a treatment plant. However, untreated sewage from Pinjore city drains, runoff from a nearby cowshed, waste from a municipal dumping ground, and discharge from a slum settlement are polluting the dam's reservoir.
Bansal warned that if this continues, the contaminated water being supplied to residents could trigger a major public health crisis. He criticised the govt and local authorities, stating that despite spending over Rs 180 crore on the dam and pipelines, residents are still being supplied unclean water.
He also highlighted that sewage from areas such as Chhuna Chowk, Bairagi Mohalla, Gurudwara Road, and Bhima Devi Colony flows untreated into the dam via drains that pass through garbage heaps, making the water even more toxic.
Bansal pointed out that wastewater from the nearby govt's security facility is also entering the river unchecked, violating NGT regulations. He demanded the immediate relocation of the dumping ground, installation of treatment plants, and stricter enforcement to ensure a clean water supply.
Panchkula: The water of Kaushalya dam near Pinjore can lead to a serious health hazard because of increasing contamination from sewage and waste dumping, alleged Congress leader and Shivalik Vikas Manch President, advocate Vijay Bansal.
Bansal Tuesday sent a formal memorandum to CM Nayab Singh Saini, the NGT, HSVP, and the irrigation and public health departments, urging immediate action to prevent polluted water from entering the dam.
He said the dam, constructed in 2012 at a cost of nearly Rs 150 crore, was intended to provide clean drinking water to Panchkula's urban sectors through a treatment plant. However, untreated sewage from Pinjore city drains, runoff from a nearby cowshed, waste from a municipal dumping ground, and discharge from a slum settlement are polluting the dam's reservoir.
Bansal warned that if this continues, the contaminated water being supplied to residents could trigger a major public health crisis. He criticised the govt and local authorities, stating that despite spending over Rs 180 crore on the dam and pipelines, residents are still being supplied unclean water.
He also highlighted that sewage from areas such as Chhuna Chowk, Bairagi Mohalla, Gurudwara Road, and Bhima Devi Colony flows untreated into the dam via drains that pass through garbage heaps, making the water even more toxic. Bansal pointed out that wastewater from the nearby govt's security facility is also entering the river unchecked, violating NGT regulations. He demanded the immediate relocation of the dumping ground, installation of treatment plants, and stricter enforcement to ensure a clean water supply.