Times News Network
Chandigarh: After finding the drinking water of around 86 schools of Ludhiana district contaminated, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the Punjab government to take remedial action to prevent pollution of water.
“Needless to say that steps are required to be taken to prevent pollution of water and pending such steps, wherever water is contaminated / safe, there is need to take steps for providing safe drinking water. This is the primary obligation of the state,” observed the tribunal.
The NGT further directed the chief secretary, Punjab, to look into the matter in coordination with the departments concerned, ascertain the causes of contamination and take remedial action for ensuring supply of safe drinking water in the interest of public health.
“A meeting with the departments concerned for the purpose may be held within a month and action taken as per the decisions,” the NGT order stated.
The NGT bench—comprising Justice A K Goel, chairperson, Justice Sudhir Agarwal, judicial member, and Nagin Nanda, expert member —passed these orders while disposing of an application filed by advocate H C Arora.
Grievance in the application was against failure to take remedial action to check pollution of water and providing potable water in areas of Punjab where the available resource is polluted.
The applicant had—on the basis of information obtained through RTI — stated that water available in Punjab government schools, drawn from submersible pumps, is not fit for drinking. On test, it is found exceeding the laid-down parameters of alkalinity, hardness, calcium and total dissolved solids (TDS).
The bench observed that as per RTI information, water of 63 government schools of Ludhiana district is found exceeding the laid-down parameters. The NGT said water being supplied through submersible pumps to children of 23 other government schools in the district is found to have bacterial contamination.