As the world celebrates yet another ‘Environment Day’ carrying the message of ‘saving the environment’ by planting trees, recycling plastic and switching off the bulbs and fans, the people of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh Industrial area know that none of these ‘solutions’ will address their deteriorating environmental conditions.
The massive air, water and noise pollution in the region due tounregulated and unmonitored industrial expansion is playing havoc with the health and well being of the people residing around the industrial zone.
Him Parivesh, Environment Protection Society a group of senior residents in the Baddi Barotiwala Nalgarh Industrial Area have corroborated this by presenting several facts that reveal the dire situation, in a press meet held on 4th June in Nalagarh.
A recent water sampling exercise carried out by Him Parivesh with support from Community Environment Monitoring Chennai has shown that the quality ofthe ground water used for drinking in the region is not within acceptable limits (based on the drinking water specifications as persecond revision of IS 10500). “Analysis of water samples from 4 sites- Malku Majra,Kishanpura, Fauji Colony and Majholi has shown highlevels of TDS, calcium, alkalinity and electrical conductivity in thewater” said Balkrishna Sharma, Secretary of Him Parivesh who was partof the team that carried out the sampling. The sampling was done on 15th of May and the sites selected were all downstream of Pharma and Chemical units found commonly in the area.
Members of Him Parivesh shared that the testimonies of the people from the above villages, where the sampling was carried out, were enough to
know that they were truly suffering from the pollution of groundwater. “Over the last few years people said that they had noticedchanges in the water odour and taste and have even been forced toabandon their traditional water sources. Villagers in Kishanpura and Majholi also complained that several samples had been taken from their area earlier but there was no follow-up action”
Speaking ofaccountability of the regulatory bodies Shweta Narayan of CEM Chennai adds, “The buck nstops at the Pollution Control Board because it is their job to check for violations and monitor the drinking water quality”.
However, the Pollution Control Board has clearly not been taking this issue seriously. “We had obtained the PCB’s own water sampling reports for three years in 2010 vide an RTI application and the results have shown consistently excessive levels of fecal coliform and total coliform in the water quality samples especially in Sandhulli Nalla apart from 12 other sites. The surface water pollution is ultimately leading to contamination of ground water and therefore posing a serious public health hazard” added Manshi Asher of Him Dhara, Environment Research and Action Collective.
Him Parivesh members further added that there is plenty of evidence that violations are taking place and environmental norms and procedures are taken lightly by the companies. Citing the example of the guideline of the Supreme Court to put up data on Hazardous wastes outside the factory premises, Jagat Singh Dukhiya, president of Him Parivesh added “We have visited several units and have documented that while the boards on environmental data do exist near the unit’s gates, they are either rusted or blank, with no information filled up”.
Apart from taking water samples, the survey team has also taken dust samples near two cement units. The results of these samples are yet to arrive. In 2010, the society had revealed the presence of Volatile Organic Compounds and poor ambient air quality near a pharmaceutical unit. “We are certain that the situation with regard to VOCs and air pollution has not improved much either”. Him Parivesh in this context raised the issue of the Alpine Public School at Nalagarh which has a
pharmaceutical unit coming up right next to it. “How could the BBNDA give NOC to a pharma unit adjacent to a school premises?” they questioned adding that the lives and health of almost 1500 children were at stake.
