SONIPATSometimes dark blue, sometimes red, streams of effluents released by about 100 dyeing units in Kundli in Sonepat reach the Yamuna throughout the day. Haryana District.
Despite a Punjab and Haryana High Court order in 2015 to relocate all dyeing units from residential areas of Sonepat, these are operational at Piao Maniyari and Friends Colony in Kundli area, TOI found on Friday. Though the HSPCB has stopped power supply to these units, it has not made any difference.
Most of these dyeing units have no treatment plants and discharge effluents into two drains—Mugeshpur and No. 6—which flow into the Yamuna. There is an overwhelmingly pungent odor in the air around these drains, which people living in the vicinity say they have learned to live with.
In Piao Maniyari area, where around 1,000 people live along drain number 6, TOI found that the sewer water was frothy and had a strong smell of chemicals.
“The color of the drain here keeps changing. At some point of the day, it turns red and at other times blue. It really depends on the shades of paint that are used in the illegal jeans-manufacturing units. It is polluted and its water is dirty, black and foul-smelling. Our life has become miserable because of the constant stench,” said Bhola, a 53-year-old resident of Payao Maniyari.
Rakesh Joshi, another resident, said many people are suffering from skin rashes and allergies due to the poison in the surrounding.
Delhi-based environmental activist Varun Gulati, who recently lodged a complaint, claimed that untreated water released by these dyeing units contains high amounts of ammonia and phosphate compounds which are toxic to aquatic life and contaminate groundwater. also pollute. He said that the pollution control board has not taken action against any of these illegal units.
“It is a matter of deep concern that these illegal units continue to proliferate, mostly with illegal electricity connections. Some of their lines were severed during a joint operation by officials of the discoms and HSPCB, but more such units have come to the fore. ” Said.
In its 2015 order, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed all dyeing units to be shifted to another location, which is linked to a common effluent treatment plant. However, there is no information on how many have actually been shifted, Gulati said.
A Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) survey in 2021 found that Drain No. 6, which routes wastewater from Sonipat city and surrounding areas, had high levels of chemical oxygen demand (338 mg/L) and biological The oxygen demand was (90 mg/L). , As per CPCB norms, the BOD for a river, reservoir or drain should be less than 30 mg/l and COD should be less than 250 mg/l.
B Kamaljeet, regional officer of the Haryana Pollution Control Board in Sonepat, confirmed the presence of illegal dyeing units in the area. “We are running several drives to seal these illegal units. We have also disconnected their electricity connections. We have a district task force to deal with such units,” he said.
Despite a Punjab and Haryana High Court order in 2015 to relocate all dyeing units from residential areas of Sonepat, these are operational at Piao Maniyari and Friends Colony in Kundli area, TOI found on Friday. Though the HSPCB has stopped power supply to these units, it has not made any difference.
Most of these dyeing units have no treatment plants and discharge effluents into two drains—Mugeshpur and No. 6—which flow into the Yamuna. There is an overwhelmingly pungent odor in the air around these drains, which people living in the vicinity say they have learned to live with.
In Piao Maniyari area, where around 1,000 people live along drain number 6, TOI found that the sewer water was frothy and had a strong smell of chemicals.
“The color of the drain here keeps changing. At some point of the day, it turns red and at other times blue. It really depends on the shades of paint that are used in the illegal jeans-manufacturing units. It is polluted and its water is dirty, black and foul-smelling. Our life has become miserable because of the constant stench,” said Bhola, a 53-year-old resident of Payao Maniyari.
Rakesh Joshi, another resident, said many people are suffering from skin rashes and allergies due to the poison in the surrounding.
Delhi-based environmental activist Varun Gulati, who recently lodged a complaint, claimed that untreated water released by these dyeing units contains high amounts of ammonia and phosphate compounds which are toxic to aquatic life and contaminate groundwater. also pollute. He said that the pollution control board has not taken action against any of these illegal units.
“It is a matter of deep concern that these illegal units continue to proliferate, mostly with illegal electricity connections. Some of their lines were severed during a joint operation by officials of the discoms and HSPCB, but more such units have come to the fore. ” Said.
In its 2015 order, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed all dyeing units to be shifted to another location, which is linked to a common effluent treatment plant. However, there is no information on how many have actually been shifted, Gulati said.
A Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) survey in 2021 found that Drain No. 6, which routes wastewater from Sonipat city and surrounding areas, had high levels of chemical oxygen demand (338 mg/L) and biological The oxygen demand was (90 mg/L). , As per CPCB norms, the BOD for a river, reservoir or drain should be less than 30 mg/l and COD should be less than 250 mg/l.
B Kamaljeet, regional officer of the Haryana Pollution Control Board in Sonepat, confirmed the presence of illegal dyeing units in the area. “We are running several drives to seal these illegal units. We have also disconnected their electricity connections. We have a district task force to deal with such units,” he said.