Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today warned against any laxity or leniency while probing the molasses leakage incident in Beas town and directed the concerned agencies to vigorously pursue legal and penal action against the offenders.
According to an official spokesperson, the chief minister had directed the concerned officials to ensure that no leniency is shown against those responsible for the incident.
Singh further instructed various agencies probing the matter to expedite their investigations so that the responsibility for the act could be pinned and the guilty could be brought to book at the earliest.
The Punjab Pollution Control Board is scheduled to hold a formal hearing into the matter tomorrow, the spokesperson said, adding that prosecution had already been initiated by the Wildlife Department for the loss of aquatic life.
The Water Resource Department too had initiated legal proceedings against the offender distillery under the Canal and Drainage Act, he said.
The chief minister also reviewed the steps being taken to check the quality of the canal water being supplied in the affected areas.
As per reports based on samples collected by the the Punjab Pollution Control Board at different places, the quality of raw canal water had almost normalised.
However, the chief minister has ordered immediate release of additional fresh water into the Beas to further stabilize the situation, the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Water Supply and Sanitation continued with regular testing of water quality, both in the waterworks and the untreated raw canal water.
As a precautionary measure, the water supply agencies have also initiated cleaning of waterworks to preclude any possibility of contaminated water being supplied to the local population.
The agencies would make interim arrangements, wherever necessary, through supply of free water from RO plants or tankers during the period of cleaning of waterworks, the spokesperson added.
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