Polluted by Pak tanneries, Sutlej spells health doom
Seventy-one-year-old Arjun Singh had to give up his work as a mallah (boatman) due to his deteriorating health last year. Earlier, he used to help villagers cross the Sutlej in his wooden boat.
Off late, he developed ailments related to lungs and kidneys.
His family members, including his wife Durgo Bai, believe that his health has deteriorated due to the consumption of polluted Sutlej water, for which tanneries from across the border in Pakistan should be blamed. Arjun Singh is not the only victim, several others arre facing similar health problems.
According to reports, Pakistani tanneries situated in and around the border towns of Kasur, Barki and Sehjra — popular for leather work — have been releasing toxic effluents into the Sutlej, eventually rendering its water unfit for drinking and irrigational purposes.
Farmers living in villages near the border, where this water is used for irrigation and household purposes, fear that this might leave a lasting impact on their health.
Chhinder Pal Singh, a youth from Kaluwala village, said most residents in villages like Kaluwala, Tendi Wala, Chandiwala, Jallo Ke, Khunder Gatti, Jhugge Hajara Singh Wala, and Gatti Rajo Ke are suffering from various health issues, including skin-related problems, gastrointestinal disorders and orthopaedic complications.
“Due to the polluted water (which seeps into the earth), groundwater is also getting contaminated. It is adversely affecting our crops and even livestock,” said Chhinder.
Tajinder Singh, incharge of Government Senior Secondary School, Gatti Rajo Ke, said there are around 750 students in his school, who come from nearby villages. “Several students are facing skin-related problems. We organise medical camps from time to time with the help of NGOs and the district administration, but this is an issue that needs urgent attention,” said Tajinder. Hundreds of tanneries are based in Kasur, the closest Pakistani town to Ferozepur.
Since the town is situated close to the India-Pakistan Border, its tanneries discharge effluents into the Sutlej, which criss-crosses into Pakistan at several points along the border.
According to reports, the Sutlej enters Pakistan at nine places along the border and re-enters India at 10 places in the Ferozepur-Fazilka sector.
A large quantity of water is used for washing leather at the tanneries in Kasur, which then flows into the Kasur drain and ultimately merges with the Sutlej.
Sandeep Goyal, Superintendent Engineer (Canals), said the river water appears blackish in Tindiwala, the area where the river once again enters the country after flowing through the Pakistan territory, indicating that “some untreated waste is being released into it”. Goyal said earlier too the matter was taken up with the higher authorities, but no official record is available on it.
Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma said she would get the matter investigated by the Executive Engineer (Canals) and ask him to submit a report in a time-bound manner.
She said after studying the report, the issue would be further taken up with senior authorities as it’s a bilateral matter between two countries.
Punjab