Meeting Of KKF – Date 21/ 10 / 24
KKF resolves to support the ‘Kala Pani Da Morcha’ in connection with preventing the flow of toxic industrial effluents in the Budha Nala and Sutlej
The roots of the high incidence of cancer cases in the Malwa belt, the cancer train going from Bathinda to Bikaner and spread of terrible diseases in the villages along the canals of Haryana/Rajasthan are in the dirty acidic water being thrown into the “Budha Nala” by hundreds of factories in Ludhiana. It is said that decades ago the people of the city used to bathe in the clean water of this creek of Sutlej. Dyeing factories are dumping lakhs of liters of untreated water into this creek at Tajpur and Bahadurke places and through it the dirty water flows further into the Sutlej creating trouble for people of 3 states.They are suffering from innumerable diseases due to using this water for drinking.
When the voice of the people suffering from this menace for decades was not heard by the governments of the time, some courageous people through their NGO “Kale-Pani Da Morcha” requested the National Green Tribunal and the Punjab Pollution Control Board to prevent the industries from releasing toxic effluents in the Budha Nala. Despite the National Tribunal directing the pollution board to stop the discharge of dirty water without cleaning it in the Nala, nothing substantial was done to check it.
After launching an awakening campaign to mobilize people, now the Morcha has announced to stop the flow of the dirty water by holding a large public gathering at Tajpur point on December 3.
The Morcha activists have warned the factories, which failed to implement the order of the tribunal, against releasing the polluted stuff in the Budha Nala.
Activists and leaders of the Kale Pani da Morcha participated in the special meeting of Kirti Kisan Forum held today at Shaheed Udham Singh Bhavan Chandigarh. Colonel Jasjit Singh Gill(retd), Amitoj Mann and Kuldeep Singh Khaira apprised the forum members about the situation in detail and asked for guidance and support. Former Health Secretary, Government of India, Swran Singh Boparai and former Chief Secretary, Government of Punjab, Rameshinder Singh and the members present of the KKF have decided to fully support the Morcha.
All members present at the meeting expressed concern over the piling up of paddy in the grain markets of Punjab due to tardy purchase of paddy and its lifting. The members requested the Punjab government to focus on the procurement of paddy and clearing the paddy stacks immediately from grain markets to expedite the procurement process.
In today’s special meeting, apart from the chair and co-chair, Kuljit Singh Sidhu, M. S. Chahal, Kulbir Singh Sidhu, Gurbir Singh Sandhu, GK Singh Dhaliwal, GS Pandher, Brig. MS Dulat (retired), Brig. Indermohan Singh (retired), Amitoj Mann, Karamjit Singh Saran, Col Malvinder Singh (retired), Parvinder Singh Waraich, Dharam Dutt Tarnaich, Jarnail Singh and Kuldeep Khaira were present.