Gurdaspur, June 6: Water Resources and River Development Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Wednesday said the Central government was in the process of drafting a long-term policy to safeguard river waters in the country.
Meghwal, along with officials of the Gurdaspur administration and the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), visited Chadha Sugar Mills. The mill was in the eye of the storm when molasses, a byproduct of the sugar manufacturing process, spilled into the Beas on May 16, disturbing the ecological balance of the river.
Raman Kochhar, who has been given the additional charge of the SDM, Batala, too accompanied the minister. Meghwal refused to comment on what action the Central Pollution Board would be taking against the mill.
Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner Gurlovleen Singh Sidhu had instructed Batala SDM Rohit Gupta, who is on leave till June 8, to conduct a magisterial inquiry after the spillage was first noticed on May 16.
The minister also paid a visit to the storage tank from where the molasses had entered the Kahnuwan drain flowing nearby. It later made its way to the Beas, contaminating the waters, a development which led to the death of thousands of fish.
Meghwal asked officials if the disaster could be averted. To which, the latter replied that if proper cooling and recirculation facilities existed in the storage tank, the catastrophe would not have occurred. However, the contentious issue of the district administration pressuring the mill management into crushing sugarcane beyond its existing capacity did not crop up.
Senior mill officials, including unit head Munesh Pal, apprised the minister of the incident. Meanwhile, farmer unions urged the government not to shut down the mill. “If the mill is closed, thousands of households will be affected in the sugarcane rich belt. It will be difficult for farmers to get their produce crushed,” said Santokh Singh of Badayia village.
Source Tribune India
