For past several years, the media as well as the civil society have been continuously warning the state authorities against the rising threat of air and water pollution in the twin capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu. Authorities failed to take cognizance of the warring bells and almost slept over the matter. Now, it has sprung with a bang when questions were raised in the on-going session of the legislature in Srinagar. Answering the questions raised by the BJP MLAs from Jammu East and Jammu West, Rajesh Gupta and Sat Sharma in the Legislative Assembly, the Minister for Forests Lal Singh came out with full details of the official reports from the State Pollution Control Board, which is really a sad commentary on the performance of the Board and concerned agencies. The crux of the report is that both cities have recorded more than the normal Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) and Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM).
The Minister has conceded that the State has failed to provide adequate mechanism to control air and water pollution in the two cities and keep it within the acceptable limits. Enumerating the causes of pollution, the Minister has underlined vehicles, road construction and infrastructure development activities, mining, burning of garbage and industrial establishments like stone crushers, brick kilns and cement plants etc. All these activities cause air pollution in addition to noise pollution which also indirectly contributes air pollution,
Apart from air pollution, we also find water pollution on a massive scale in these two cities. The major causes of water pollution are discharge of untreated sewage from domestic and commercial sources and discharge of industrial effluents into water bodies. The major source of pollution in River Tawi and Ranbir canal are the discharge of untreated sewage and dumping of solid waste. Although these are the reasons which the Forest Minister has given for water and air pollution, it has also to be said that lack of civic sense among the people is also considerably contributing to air and water pollution. The throwing away of litter and garbage, improper drainage, water clogging during rainy season, not caring for the maintenance of water bodies like tanks, wells and streams, and unhygienic approach to the plants or flora and fauna are also among major contributor to air and water pollution.
Consequences of air and water pollution are not fully realized by the people and the Government. Scientific investigation has shown that air pollution causes grave respiratory problems among the people who inhale the polluted air. Not only had human beings, even the cattle life is also threatened by polluted air. Respiratory problems, cough, sore throat and even cancer are feared to be caused by polluted air. Likewise, the dangers of water pollution need not be over-emphasized. Polluted water used for irrigation is already causing grave damage to the crops and to the cattle that drink it.
It is a sad commentary on the State Pollution Control Board that it is not able to control the pollution or at least warn the Government from time to time about the possible adverse consequences of air and water pollution to the two cities where maximum population is concentrated. The Minister said that instructions had been issued to the Jammu Municipal Corporation. That is no solace to the people, the ordinary people, who are affected by these pollutants. The Government needs to take up the matter on war footing. For vehicular emissions, proper checking of vehicles has to be enforced. Other necessary measures have to be taken to see to it that pollution of air is stopped. We have been laying stress on Government needing to have modern waste destruction plants with modern technology so that garbage and waste are disposed of properly without the need of burning these and causing air pollution. Before the situation slips out of hand, the authorities, especially the State Pollution Control Board shall have to move fast and arrest the downslide in the control of pollution.
In fact, State Pollution Control Board shall not have to rest content with controlling pollution in the twin capital cities only but shall have to take care of major towns in the State which are not safe against pollution. After all developmental work is also undertaken in the districts and the same reasons apply there also. We would suggest that the Pollution Control Board begins the task of supervising the pollution in the District Headquarters also and also gets the budget fixed for control of pollution in districts level developmental boards whenever they meet once a year. Let no negligence be allowed in this area as it is directly connected to the health of the people of the State.
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