Checking pollution of River Chenab

We have heard a lot about the ‘Action Plan’ of fighting pollution of River Chenab with the hope that the polluted waters of the river in identified stretch of 12 kilometres right from JioPotaMandir to Pargwalwould get cleansed and rid of causes of pollution being primarily due to not matching the standards and norms specified . The main objective of the much hyped ‘Action Plan’ was to set up a Common Sewage Treatment Plant with a capacity of 3 MLD built by the Urban Environment Engineering Department (UEED), Directorate of Urban Local Bodies and Municipal Committee , Akhnoor. When analysed in respect of ground realities, it is found that the agencies concerned supposed to have done it have failed in their mission and not entirely without reasons of treating the subject just in non-serious manner right from the top . Had there been any industrial units around , the waste material where from would have been finding its way into the river , the reasons would have been different but what is surprising that the river continues to be polluted in spite of this general cause . On the contrary , it is all due to “conventional and routine” causes of untreated sewage, untreated municipal solid waste , dumping of construction waste material and the like.
We are, otherwise, time and again emphasising on cutting down unwanted , lengthy , time consuming procedures and red- tape in matters of importance especially like the one under reference but there appears to be no improvement as in the instant case, the pre- feasibility report by the UEED is yet to be cleared by the Union Government and the revised Detailed Project Report is to be prepared which again has to be approved by the Union Government followed by releasing of funds to start building and developing of the Sewage Treatment Plant at Akhnoor. No time limit is fixed nor is any seriousness in respect of completing technical paper works in sight, hence an air of uncertainty prevails over the project. Added to it, is the non-establishing of an Effluent Treatment Plant in respect of healthcare institutions by the Health Department.
Entire Akhnoor belt sans any treatment plant for generated and ‘flowing into the river waste material’ which becomes the main cause of violating the sanctity of the river in respect of making it vulnerable to suffer from physico-chemical hazards . Municipal solid waste to the tune of 9 metric tonne is generated each day in the town which unfortunately remains untreated and undisposed due to there being no treatment plant around. It is a travesty that knowing this all, no steps were taken by the government perhaps thinking the river to be the ultimate point of getting the stuff melted into and hence “treated” . Successive governments have all along been found wanting in devising concrete policies and followed by showing all seriousness in implementing them in respect of fighting pollution in particular of rivers, lakes , water bodies and the like. River Chenab , therefore , has had to pay its part of price in terms of suffering from this problem.
Generally , whatever stuff in terms of waste material generated from individual households in solid and liquid form is found, is generally felt to be inconsequential but when seen in cumulative form in respect of where the same ultimately found its way , it is this very river. Added to the entire scenario, is that the town was fast developing in terms of more and more buildings coming up , army installations taking place etc which naturally contribute towards and thus aggravating matters of generation of throw- able waste material haphazardly .For these very reasons, verily, therefore devising a proper Action Plan was thought of by the administration for reversing the causes and reasons of pollution of this splendid river but it could not see the light of the day till date. We would like to urge the concerned authorities to treat the matter seriously and take appropriate steps to save the River from the ills of pollution.

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