Pollution Threatens Villages, Saryu River

COMMUNICATION

Several villages in the Kesarganj block of Bahraich district (Uttar Pradesh) and nearby areas are seriously threatened by effluents released in a nullah by a sugar factory. Villagers said that this nullah later merges into the Saryu river which flows towards Ayodhya and is considered a very sacred river.

The affected villages include Jhoparva, Itauwan, Lalpur, Jalalpur, Semripur, Parsonda and several other villages as well.

Villagers said that several of their farm and dairy animals have died as a result of consuming this water. In addition they have observed several cases of many fishes in the nullah dying due to this pollution.

When this writer went to see the nullah from as close a place as possible, the water was completely black from pollution. At first glance, it was clear that the pollution level was very high.

The people in some of these villages already suffer from water contamination. The high levels of water contamination in the nullah will invariably have an adverse effect on their groundwater also and hence the problem of water pollution will worsen in this village.

In addition a foul smell often comes from the factory which has been adversely affecting the health of people of villages like Jhoparwa adversely.

People here say that their pleas for reducing the pollution caused by the sugar factory have been ignored so far and they are deeply worried by the possibilities of adverse effects on the health of people and farm animals.

Hence the administration should take urgent steps to reduce the pollution hazards of this factory. If this is done, then the pollution of the sacred Saryu river will also be reduced.

Bharat Dogra

C-27 Raksha Kunj, Paschim Vihar,

New Delhi-110063