Punjab to have policy for checking river pollution

Chandigarh, July 24 (UNI) The Punjab government will formulate a comprehensive policy to check the pollution of river waters in the state.

This was disclosed by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today while directing the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to frame and implement specific and result-oriented guidelines in this regard and ensure regular and time bound monitoring of the anti-pollution steps.

Presiding over a meeting of the PPCB, the Chief Minister asked the Board to install sewerage treatment plants in the state. He also directed the Local Bodies and Industries Department to seek prior permission for discharge of their waste water into drains or rivers from the drainage or irrigation departments.

He also directed the PPCB to ensure the recirculation of the discharge of industrial effluents in manner that it became fit for reuse for irrigation. He pointed out that he would soon call on Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests S Regupathy to seek funds for the state under National River Conservation Programme.

The Chief Minister asked the Chief Secretary to hold a joint meeting of the industries, local bodies and PPCB to work out the modalities to control the menace of pollution effectively because the effluents discharged in the rivers and drains posed a threat to both aquatic life as well as humans.

He assured the PPCB that funds would not be a constraint in implementing these schemes since health and enviornment was a priority with the government.

Prominent amongst others who were also present in the meeting included Chief Secretary R I Singh, Principal Secretary Industries A R Talwar, Principal Secretary Local bodies D S Bains, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister D S Guru, Principal Secretary Technical Education and Industrial Training, Secretary Education K B S Sidhu, Chairman PPCB Yogesh Goel, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister A K Mahajan and MD Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board Pardeep Chaudhary.

UNI