Rising water pollution

In developing countries protection of environment and maintenance of ecological balance are the pre-requisites of industrialization. This was the experience of developed countries, which are far more industrialized today. The result of strict observance of the basic principles of protecting environment and ecology is that in the western world nature is sill to be found in its pristine purity, water bodies shine in their full glory and forest wealth provides lungs to the cities with teeming populations. Polluting water bodies and debasing the nature is a crime in developed societies, and those promoting natural environs and landscapes are duly recognized and appreciated by the society and the state.
We have the Pollution Control Board and Environment & Ecology Department, which are supposed to ensure purity of water, air and environment of the State. Maybe they are functioning at some level but the impact of their activity is almost negligible. This is gathered from the report of the Committee on Environment of State Assembly which has been made public. The report paints a very gloomy picture of environmental status of the State and, in particular, focuses on the pollution of water to incredible extent. Water pollution leads to serious damaging impact on bird, animal and human health, and also contributes to degradation of soil when used for irrigation purposes.
The report of the Environment Committee is a serious reflection on the working of the Pollution Control Board and highlights the grave situation developing out of negligence of enforcing strict pollution control policy.  Increase in pollution of water resources has essentially happened owing to sewerage, silting, fertilizers runoff from the agricultural fields, and above all the industrial discharges. This is posing a grave threat to the very existence of rivers, lakes and other water bodies in the State. Despite orders banning the use of polythene, retail shopkeepers are using them secretly without being conscious of the fact that ultimately this stuff lands in nullahs, ponds, lakes and springs, The Union Government sanctioned support for a major sewerage control programme for the cities of Jammu and Srinagar. It has not been brought to completion under one pretext or the other. The result is that dumping of refuse and litter at odd places within the parameters of the capital cities and towns has become tremendous health hazard. We don’t have the proper and modern system of plants for disposal of garbage and waste in towns and cities. Much is being said about the subject but still we find heaps of garbage and litter piling up in the nooks and corners of the towns and cities in the State.
The Committee on Environment has also sent a letter to the Chief Secretary bringing to his notice the abysmal failure of the Pollution Control Board in controlling pollution. The Committee has not focused only on the drawbacks and deficiencies rampant in the PCB but has also and very rightly, made some concrete suggestions of improving ecological health and cleanliness of our environs, water bodies, forest wealth and safeguards against emission of smoke and gases. These are vey useful and practicable suggestions and the government and its concerned agencies should have no difficulty in accepting and implementing them. For example, a very significant suggestion is that a Committee should be constituted of all concerned Departments like Health, Industries & Commerce, Agriculture Production, PHE, Pollution Control Board and Environment & Ecology Departments for detailed study and suggestion of measures to control water pollution. The justification, according to the Committee for formation of a special committee is that the departments are not very serious in understanding the dangers posed by environmental degradation. As such their participation in the entire exercise is a way of making them respond to their duty of preserving nature’s purity. The Committee has very rightly taken an overall view of environmental situation and desired that involvement of Forest Department in maintaining the purity of ecology is very important. It has highlighted the immediate necessity of controlling emissions from motor vehicles that are injurious to health and stressed upon the need of banning old vehicles from plying on the streets of the owns an cities. We urge the Government to give weight to the suggestions of the Committee and start working towards their implantation on the ground.

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