The Member of Parliament Kumari Selja has expressed concern over the increasing pollution in the Ghaggar River in the Sirsa region.

 Kumari Selja has written letters to the NGP Chairman, the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, and the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

:-The Government Remains Silent Despite the serious condition:-Kumari Selja

Chandigarh 26, June.

The General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee, former President of Haryana Congress, In-charge of Uttarakhand, former Union Minister, and member of the Congress Working Committee, and newly elected MP from the Sirsa Lok Sabha seat representing the Congress (India Alliance) Kumari Selja
has said that the Ghaggar River, which is the lifeline for hundreds of villages in Sirsa, has been used for discharging all kinds of pollutants over the past decade and a half. Recently, there has been an unprecedented increase in the flow of pollutants, including factory waste and hazardous chemicals, which may be carcinogenic, treated, and untreated sewage. This has not only created a severe health threat to humans and dairy animals but also made the lives of those living around the Ghaggar River very miserable. She has demanded the central government take appropriate steps to prevent the river water from being polluted and to take strict action against those responsible for polluting the water. It is notable that when Kumari Selja visited the Rania area recently and stopped at the Ottu Head, she met with farmers who expressed their concerns about the increasing pollution in the Ghaggar River. The Selja had assured them that addressing the issue of the Ghaggar River would be her first priority. She has written to Justice Prakash Srivastava, Chairman of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), C.R. Patil, Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Government of India, and Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, informing them about the farmers' concerns regarding the Ghaggar River. The Ghaggar River originates from the Shivalik Hills and passes through Himachal, UT, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, covering a vast length. It is often linked to the sacred river Saraswati.

Kumari Selja said that the polluted water of the Ghaggar River is greatly affecting bird life and aquatic life around the Otu Weir (especially fisheries), which is a home for migratory birds as well as for the Fisheries Department. The rivers flowing into the Ghaggar are certainly contaminating the groundwater, posing a significant threat to human populations and dairy animals. The milk from cattle living around the Ghaggar River is of poor quality. Additionally, the area suffers from water-borne diseases such as jaundice, diarrhea, typhoid, hepatitis, and malaria.

She said that the increase in cases of cancer, liver, and gastric diseases in this region is due to the pollution of this river. It is believed that the sudden increase in the aforementioned diseases may be due to faulty installations of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in dozens of villages in the Ghaggar belt over the past few years, leading to sewer system issues in towns like Sirsa and Ellenabad. These STPs should be inspected for proper functioning, and any defects or bypasses should be rectified. Ignoring this serious environmental threat could lead to irreversible pollution in the Ghaggar Basin. She said that the reports of the commission headed by Justice Pritam Pal were eye-opening, but their recommendations were ignored by the concerned authorities. Various social organizations of the Sirsa Lok Sabha constituency, Lokpanchayat, Sirsa, and the Ghaggar Bachao Committee have raised their voices about these dangers from time to time, but to no avail. Immediate excavation of the Ottu Lake is also necessary to increase water storage and remove silt. Previous efforts to excavate the lake were marred by widespread corruption. The lake is still filled with water hyacinth, obstructing water flow during the monsoon. An approved water recharging system needs to be established along the entire length of the Ghaggar, but only after ensuring a clean, pollution-free water flow. Both the left and right banks of the Ghaggar River need to be strengthened, and a 'pucca' road should be constructed on these banks for better management of the river before and during floods. Please take note of this serious matter and issue favorable strong time-bound directions to the concerned departments