Contrary to the claims of the State Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board that it is keeping a strict vigil on the violators of pollution control norms in this industrial belt, the unchecked dumping of fly ash along Sirsa and Balad rivers has become a major problem in Baddi.

Perturbed over the disinterest shown by the Board in initiating action against the offenders, villagers and members of Him Parivesh Paryavarn Sarankshan Sanstha (HPPSS), a Baddi-based NGO, today said that the matter will be taken up with chief minister.

The officials of the Pollution Control Board had earlier claimed that they were persuading the managements of the industrial units to provide tertiary-level of treatment of effluents in the Baddi- Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial belt, to conserve the ecology of the region.

The Board had also claimed that the level of water pollution in the river is within the specified limit, and that they are regularly monitoring the pollution control systems of all industries here, by carrying out inspections. Residents of the area, however, accuse the Board of negligence.

Said chairman of the NGO Jagjit Singh Dukhiya, “The dumping of fly ash by some industrialists in the open, and along the Sirsa and Balad rivers is not only polluting the water, but also spreading air pollution in the industrial belt.” He added that the issue has been repeatedly taken up with the Board officials, but effective measures have not been taken.

Fly ash is generated by industries which use paddy husk to operate their boilers at Baddi and Barotiwala.

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