Punjab forms task force for Sirhind Canal cleaning project

Chandigarh, May 16 (UNI) The Punjab Goverment today constituted a task force to prepare a blue print for cleaning Sirhind Canal to achieve the objective of 'safe drinking water for all'.

The members of the group comprise Punjab State Pollution Control Board, Punjab State Council for Science and Technology, Water Supply and Sewerage Board.

Chairing a meet to review the progress of different schemes of drinking water and sewerage in both urban as well as rural sectors here this morning, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal asked the State Chief Secretary to make the entire programme to implement these schemes in a time bound manner.

He also directed the Secretary Irrigation to jointly conduct a fresh survey of Sirhind Canal with Punjab State Pollution Control Board to identify the entry points of pollution caused by sewage, industrial wastes and garbage disposals before taking up the operation for its cleaning.

The Chief Minister also directed a Executive Director of Punjab State Council for Science and Technology to finalise the modalities to implement all the schemes aimed at purifying water especially in the most polluted zones of the state with a high level of toxicity due to industrial pollutants and pesticides.

He asked the task force to submit a report on the Sirhind Canal in the first phase within a fortnight and the remaining canals and drains in the second phase within a month.

He also underscored the need for enforcement by the Punjab State Pollution Control Board to check the untreated industrial effluents in the rivers. He asked the officers to device a methodology to make use of recycled water for irrigation purposes.

The Chief Minister directed the Chief Secretary to work out the modalities for these schemes in order to project its demand to the 13th Finance Commission.

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