In order to prevent the industrial contaminating water to spillover in the natural water resources, The Punjab Environment Minister Om Prakash Soni today inspected two main industrial units Federal Agro Private Industries Limited and Nectar Life Science Limited in Dera Bassi. During the inspection, some loopholes were found in the functioning of Effluents Treatment Plants (ETPs) of these industrial units. Mr Soni asked the owners of these units to fullfill all the norms within 10-day. After that necessary actions being taken against them.Mr. Soni directed the officers of the Environment Department and Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to keep a close tab on the industries in a bid to check the contamination of natural water resources. He said that the activities of spilling out industrial residue into the water resources would not be tolerated at any cost. He said that he had visited Ghaggar two months ago. Even at that time the industrial units were being found to spill their residue to spillover in the Ghaggar. It will not be tolerated at any cost. Now he has come here to know about the ground realities. He said that if any industry does not follow governmental norms and continues to spill out contaminated water into river then strict action would be taken against erring unit.
The cabinet minister asked the officers to ensure that the treatment plants in every industrial unit should be regularly run and reactivate old treatment plants so that the water could be well treated before putting into rivers. He said, “It’s a joint responsibility of environment department and pollution control board officers to ensure that the industries under their jurisdiction not to spread any kind of pollution.”Expressing grave concern over contaminated and untreated water being thrown by the industries of Chandigarh and Haryana into Ghaggar River, he said that the Punjab Government had been written to Haryana Government and Chandigarh Administration. The Cabinet Minister said that the Punjab government would not leave any stone unturned to make the environment of the state clean and the desired steps to be taken at war footing in this direction. He said that it is the moral responsibility of the industrialists also to not to throw contaminated water and other industrial residues in the rivers. Simultaneously, he urged the people to make their contribution in preventing pollution.On this occasion Chairman of Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) Pro. Satwinder Singh Marwaha and Chief Environmental Engineer Mr. Gulshan Rai were also present.