Carcass waste flowing directly into Satluj

Ludhiana: While on the one hand, a hue and cry is being raised over the pollution level in Satluj, authorities seem to be careless towards ‘hadda rodi’ (dumpyard for dead animals) just on the banks of Satluj river near Ladowal. Though civic authorities have been claiming to construct a carcass utilization plant for the past two years under the Smart City Mission, no preventive measures are being taken to curb pollution in the water body. The waste material after the skinning of dead animals is going directly into the river.
A group of NGO members — jointly from Bhai Ghanyia Cancer Roko Society in Faridkot, and Naroa Punjab Manch — visited the site recently. They have been creating awareness regarding pollution in Buddha Nullah and Satluj, because Satluj water is being consumed by many people in the Malwa belt of Punjab, and even by the people of Rajasthan.
Bhai Ghanyia Cancer Roko Society chairman Gurpreet Singh said: “This is cruelty to animals as well as human beings who are unaware of all these things. How can authorities allow the skinning of dead animals on the banks of Satluj?” He said nobody is paying attention to the fact that after the skinning, blood and carcasses are being thrown directly into the river. Singh said when they inquired from employees working at the site, they claimed that earlier they were doing the work at some distance, but then a food processing plant was set up at that location, so they shifted near the river bank. He said in the past few days, there was rainfall, and the waste material must have been washed away inside the river.
“If treatment is required for sewerage water and industrial effluents, then why are all these things thrown directly into the river?” asked Lakha Sidhana, another member of the group. He demanded that the authorities should at least create some structure, so that waste should not go inside the water body. He said with all this, not only water, but even air and soil are getting polluted.
Meanwhile, MC’s senior veterinary officer Dr YP Singh said: “MC has already finalized the contractor for the construction of a carcass utilization plant at Noorpur Bet village, and very shortly, work will also begin. After this carcass plant is constructed, the dead animals will be disposed of properly.” However, Tandarust Mission Punjab director Kahan Singh Pannu said: “I will pass on the instructions to officials of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to look into the matter and take suitable action against this unscientific way of skinning dead animals.”
Notably, PPCB has been serving notices to MC over the absence of a proper carcass utilisation plant in Ladowal, as people in the area had also raised the matter of bad health and environment. After almost 10 years of planning, MC could finalize the contractor, but until the time the plant gets constructed, there is need to check the pollution levels.
Congress MLA from Gill constituency Kuldeep Vaid admitted that it was a totally wrong practice on the banks of Satluj. He said: “Some 7 to 8 months back, I had visited the place and I had asked the deputy commissioner to solve this problem, but in the heat of elections, it had skipped my mind.” He said he would take up the matter once again.