Months after residents of Chondheri,Smalheri and Dappar adjoining Dera Bassi were found suffering from chronic foot diseases and other skin ailments caused by the toxic effluents discharged by industrial units in the Jharmel drain,the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has arranged for pumping out the water stagnating in the drain. This,after the residents of these villages asked the PPCB for their help. Environmental Engineer (EE) of PPCB,Joginder Singh,said the process of pumping of water will clear the drain bed of all pollutants. Each discharge into the drain will now be plugged with small bundhs to identify the units discharging their effluent during odd hours,so that the defaulters can be identified,he added. The residents of these villages had been suffering from chronic foot diseases and other skin ailments,as they often had to cross Jharmel drain to go to their fields. Since the drain which leads to the Ghaggar river is not very deep,it does not have bridges and villagers routinely walk across it. Singh said that while inspecting the area,a unit named Rama Industries Limited in Chondheri village was found engaged in the manufacturing gelatin using bone chips as raw material. The unit was found discharging its effluents through its inter-connected channel into Jharmel drain. While the samples of the effluent have been collected and sent for analysis,the discharge was plugged with the help of sandbags. PPCB Chairman Kahan Singh Pannu,who also holds the charge of Joint Development Commissioner of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA),Punjab,the drain bed will be rejuvenated and its banks strengthened after the effluents are pumped out.
