DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday accused the Punjab government of “patronizing an environmental massacre in Punjab by turning a blind eye to the massive and man-made ecological disaster caused by the Kirri Afghana Sugar Industries and owners of the distillery.

In a letter to Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Harsh Vardhan, Badal described the massive pollution of river Beas water and the shocking scale of death of aquatic life in water bodies in Punjab as “a shocking example of the brazen insensitivity” of the offending parties with active patronage of the state government.

He said the mill is owned by highly connected political leader who is also close to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. “The grave irony of the tragedy authored by a religious advisor of the Chief Minister is that it has led to the contamination of the sacred Kali Bein which is historically associated with the life of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji.” Demanding the immediate arrest of “the members of the management and the directors of the offending Mill/distillery who are guilty of an inter-state crime now”, Badal said they should be proceeded against under relevant provisions of law for endangering lives of millions of people in Punjab and Rajasthan apart from causing a massacre of aquatic life including fish and birds. He said the Union Government should directly address the crisis as it has already become a multi-state calamity.

He also demanded that a central team from the Union Ministry of Environment should be deputed for an on the spot study of the situation. “That team should assess the extent of damage caused by this calamity so far and likely to be caused in coming days and determine the scale of compensation to be paid to the affected people.” The burden of this compensation should be borne by the guilty industrialist.

“The disaster is not just man made but is also at the same time an example of the unbelievably brazen crassness and insensitivity of the guilty parties in this regard to the cause of protection and preservation of ecology and wild-life, with active patronage of the state government. This environmental disaster is caused directly by the shockingly criminal and willful defiance of all norms and laws concerning ecology by powerful people enjoying direct patronage of the ruling dispensation in Punjab,” Badal added.

(editor@dailyworld.in)