Officials Accused of Hiding Crucial Documents from Vidhan Sabha Committee
Ludhiana, January 2: Kale Pani Da Morcha has addressed a letter to Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, levelling serious allegations against officials of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB). The letter accuses the PPCB officials of deliberately concealing critical documents and facts from the Vidhan Sabha Committee investigating pollution in the Buddha Dariya and the Ghaggar River. The Morcha has called for stringent action against those responsible.
Jaskirat Singh, Kuldeep Singh Khaira and other members of Kale Pani Da Morcha, stated that the Vidhan Sabha Committee, chaired by MLA Daljit Singh Grewal Bhola, was established on July 25, 2022, to address the growing concerns over pollution in these rivers. They alleged that despite holding 30 meetings and presenting an interim report on March 11, 2024, the committee failed to include key findings about illegal activities contributing to the pollution.
According to the Morcha members, it was only after the NGT directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to investigate the matter that crucial documents came to light. They claimed that the CPCB subsequently directed the PPCB to close the illegal outlets of the CETPs in August, following which the PPCB ordered their closure. However, they alleged that the PPCB took no action against the CETPs and their directors, even when the 50 MLD CETP was caught red-handed by a joint team of MC Ludhiana and PPCB for illegally connecting 12-inch and 8-inch pipes. These pipes were reportedly bypassing hot and colored wastewater into the municipal sewers, which ultimately flowed to the Jamalpur STP.
The Morcha members pointed out that this violation was widely reported in the media and also mentioned in the report of the Amicus Curiae appointed by the NGT in Case No. 225/2022. However, they noted that it found no mention in the Vidhan Sabha Committee’s report.
They further alleged that this omission corroborates the widely held belief that PPCB officials are consistently conniving and colluding with the dyeing industry. “In this instance, they have crossed all limits by misleading even a Vidhan Sabha Committee on such a critical issue,” the Morcha members stated.
The Morcha has demanded an immediate high-level inquiry into the conduct of the officials concerned. They have called for accountability and strict action against those responsible for breach of privilege, contempt of the House, and acts of treason.
For decades, industrial effluent, sewage, solid waste, dairy waste, and other forms of waste have been dumped into the Buddha Dariya, transforming it into the highly polluted Buddha Nullah right under the nose of the concerned authorities. The contaminated waters eventually flow into the Sutlej River near Walipur village in Ludhiana district.
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