Tubewells near dump stir unsafe water fear

PANCHKULA: Close proximity of four tubewells to the dumping ground has sparked fears of drinking water contamination in Panchkula, prompting the municipal corporation (MC) to take up the matter with the Haryana State Pollution Control Board.

The dumping ground is spread around 10.4 acres in Sector 23 that has four tubewells supplying potable water to residents in sectors 23 to 28. As many as 6,000 families reside in the sectors that are just around 200 metres to 800 metres away from the dumping ground.

In a letter to member secretary of Haryana Pollution Control Board, the MC asked him to assess the public health hazard and test the drinking water quality of the four tubewells around the garbage dump. Residents too are feeling the pain. They have approached the MC a number of times to shift the dumping ground.

Saroj Goyal, 37, a housewife, a resident of Sector 25, said, "We have already complained to the MC officials many a time about the bad effects of the dumping ground near the residential area. But they are reluctant to shift it to another site."

Rajender Singh, 36, a private firm employee residing in Sector 23, said, "We spent our hard-earned money to live in a good locality. But the dumping ground next to our houses has ruined our investment."

The MC officials have also requested the board to conduct air quality tests in the area.

S K Nayar, president, Citizens Welfare Association, said, "It is a serious matter if the drinking water is getting contaminated due to the dumping ground. We believe the air in the area is already polluted."

Residents said a number of elderly people suffer from asthma due to the smoke emanating from the dumping ground following fires.

On May 25 night, a fire had broken out at the dumping ground, causing problems for residents. Many said it had become difficult to step out of their homes owing to the smoke.

MC officials said several meetings had been held with senior ministers to shift the dumping ground away from the residential area and an empty piece of government land near Jhuriwala village was available. Two firms have shown interest in setting up the solid waste management plant, a tender for which was floated by the government recently.