Breach in sludge carrier; water supply to 6 Bathinda villages hit

Sameer Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, November 1

A major leakage was reported in a sludge carrier near Jassi Pauwali village in Bathinda and its water mixed with the Sirhind canal tributary channel thereby polluting the canal water (potable) supplied to six villages — Jodhpur Romana, Naruana, Gurusar Sainewala, Bir Talaab (six slums), Jassi Pauwali and Jaisingh wala. Irrigation officials have started the repair work to plug the breach.

BKU Dakonda block president Gurdeep Singh said: “The breach and subsequent mixing of sewage water with the canal tributary channel has left residents of five villages perturbed. This points towards the lack of preparedness and laxity on the part of the Irrigation Department.”

“The closure of the Sirhind canal for repair resulted in the drying of its tributary channels and this exposed the leakage near Jassi Pauwali village. It is, however, unknown for how long this leakage has been there as it was not detectable during regular flow of canal water and the leakage was at the base of sludge carrier,” he said.

Bhinder Singh, a Naruana village resident, said: “The sludge carrier had been a breeding ground for several diseases. We don’t even know for how long this leakage has been there and we have been supplied contaminated water.”

XEN Sandeep Singh Mangat said: “We had sent our workers and got the leakage plugged. We will carry out repair if similar problem arises again. If there is a problem from the sludge carrier’s end, the MC must see to it.”