Srinagar Uptown and Budgam Get Unclean Doodh Ganga Water  – Kashmir Observer

The J&Okay Air pollution Management Committee (PCC) just lately submitted an in depth water evaluation report of Doodh Ganga earlier than the Nationwide Inexperienced Tribunal-NGT. The report has been ready by scientists of the J&Okay Air pollution Management Committee by analyzing water samples collected from Doodh Ganga final 12 months at numerous websites. The lab studies, that are in possession of this creator who can be the petitioner on this case, clearly reveal that water high quality in Doodh Ganga may be very harmful and isn’t even match for bathing not to mention ingesting. 

Paradoxically, the stated water is provided to greater than 6 lakh folks of Srinagar uptown areas. 

The consultants say that rise in gastrointestinal ailments and liver illnesses is attributed to consumption of unhygienic water provided by the Public Well being Engineering Division (PHE) additionally known as division of Jal Shakti. Between February to July 2023 a number of assessments have been accomplished on water samples collected from Doodh Ganga at Nowhar, Sogam , Chadoora, Barzulla and Tengpora and the outcomes are very scary.

In compliance to the NGTs order dated  30-05-2023 the then Principal Secretary Housing and City Growth Division took some initiatives however that solely managed the unlawful riverbed mining in Doodh Ganga to some extent however failed to regulate water air pollution. Regardless of the assembly convened by Principal Secretary HUDD J&Okay Govt on 15-06-2023 and 17-07-2023 whereby he directed all of the stakeholders to take remedial measures vis-a-vis sewage, managing stable waste, legacy waste together with banks of Doodh Ganga and Mamath Kul, not a lot work was accomplished by the respective Govt establishments. 

Sanitation Drive on Doodh Ganga

The Municipal Committee Chadoora, Srinagar Municipal Company and District Administration Budgam undertook sanitation drives on the banks of Doodh Ganga between Might 27^th to June 1^st week on totally different dates. The legacy waste was cleared close to Kralpora bridge by SMC sanitation employees on the orders of the then Commissioner SMC Athar Amir Khan , however no followup work was taken up in a while. One can see heaps of waste dumped there once more and liquid waste continues to enter Doodh Ganga at Kralpora even close to the realm where-from water is pumped as much as the filtration plant. That is fairly harmful. 

MC Chadoora took up sanitation work in Chadoora city and different areas as nicely however the areas that are exterior the municipal limits proceed to be stuffed with trash and open drains enter Doodh Ganga from Branwar to Kralpora not less than 50 to 60 locations. For the final 9 months no common sanitation drives to clear stable waste or legacy waste across the banks of Doodh Ganga banks is being taken up. Solely in Chadoora city and SMC municipality jurisdiction the common sanitation work is completed , remainder of the areas are choked with trash particularly within the rural areas falling underneath blocks of  Surasyar, Chadoora and BK Pora in district Budgam. Large quantity of stable waste has collected on the banks of Doodh Ganga at Borwah, Sogam, Hanjugund, Wathoora, Stadium Colony, Chinar Colony Wathoora, Kralpora, Mouchwa and different locations. It’s an irony that the liquid waste continues to enter Doodh Ganga at a number of places from Brenwar Budgam to Tengpora Srinagar particularly at Branwar , Surasyar, Nowhar, Dadompora, Borwah, Zuhama, Sogam, Chadoora city, Hanjigund, Wathoora, Kralpora, Mouchwa.

Sadly, the identical contaminated water as defined above is lifted at Doodh Ganga water provide scheme Kralpora and provided to greater than 6 lakhs inhabitants of Srinagar District and a few elements of  Budgam as nicely.

PCC water evaluation report

The Air pollution Management Committee has submitted the water high quality profile of Doodh Ganga earlier than the Nationwide Inexperienced Tribunal (NGT). The water sampling of Doodh Ganga was accomplished between January to July 2023 at a number of places which clearly reveals that the water high quality at Chadoora City and at Tengpora Bridge Srinagar is just not match for bathing depart apart ingesting this water ?  The identical water is lifted at Kralpora Doodh Ganga Water Provide Scheme which is situated 6 km Chadoora downstream after which provided to six lakh inhabitants of Srinagar and Budgam after chlorination. 

How can chlorination make this soiled water match for consumption? The PCC’s water evaluation report says that water at Chadoora city and its downstream comprises ammoniacal nitrogen, excessive concentrated sulphates plus calcium and magnesium.

The water high quality report submitted by J&Okay Air pollution Management Committee to NGT clearly signifies that major water high quality in Doodh Ganga is dangerous as per the standards for bathing water which is revealed within the Gazette of India on September 25^th 12 months 2000. As per the stated standards,  the advisable fecal coliform rely in bathing water is 500 colony-forming items (CFU) per milliliter, with a most permissible restrict of 2500 CFU/ml. These limits are established to accommodate variations in environmental circumstances, comparable to seasonal adjustments and fluctuations in move circumstances. Nonetheless, for ingesting functions, the suitable fecal coliform rely is zero, as specified by the Bureau of Indian Requirements (BIS) in IS 10500:2012 (PM/ 10500/ 1 October 2020).

It’s worthwhile to say that the fecal coliform counts in any respect sampling websites exceed the suitable limits.  Particularly the water high quality at Chadoora exceeds the fascinating restrict for bathing water by practically 3 times, indicating a big degree of contamination. Moreover, at Tengpora and Previous Barzulla websites, the contamination ranges are exceptionally excessive, being practically 20000 CFU/ml. 

Grave Well being Implications

The well being implications of such contamination are very severe and the officers on the helm of affairs must be taken to job. Whilst big funds have been offered to J&Okay underneath the Jal Jeevan Mission, the identical are utilized solely to obtain water pipes as muddy water, soiled water combined with fecal waste continues to be provided to folks in areas of Srinagar uptown like Hyderpora, Pirbagh, Humhama, Sanat Nagar, Rawalpora, Rangreth, Gogoland , Chanapora, Nowgam, Bagh-e-Mehtab and different locations.

Water with fecal coliform ranges as excessive as 20,000 CFU/ml poses a extreme threat of waterborne ailments and infections to anybody who comes into contact with it. Consumption of contaminated water can result in gastrointestinal diseases, and probably extreme circumstances in weak populations. Though different parameters like DO, BOD, TDS might fall inside the permissible BIS ranges, the extraordinarily excessive fecal coliform rely alone deems the water unsuitable for consumption/bathing in any respect places’.

Rs 35 Cr penalty on Govt

Throughout a number of hearings and thru written affidavits as nicely the Housing and City Growth Division -HUDD J&Okay repeatedly gave assurance to the Nationwide Inexperienced Tribunal-NGT  that the sewage remedy plants-STPs can be setup on the banks of Doodh Ganga at totally different areas however that hasn’t been accomplished until date from 2022 ? The NGT imposed Rs 3 crore interim penalty on SMC , Directorate of ULB Kashmir and Mining Division in 2022. Then final 12 months Rs 32 crore penalty was once more imposed which is to be utilized for Doodh Ganga STPs however until date the STPs haven’t been arrange wherever.

Drainage of polluted water by SMC

As well as, greater than half a dozen water pumping stations have been arrange by Srinagar Municipal Company at Chanapora, Natipora, Pamposh Colony, Barzullah, Bulbul Bagh, Tengpora which flush out untreated sewage and different poisonous liquid waste into Doodh Ganga. This matter has been introduced into the discover of the NGT and Srinagar Municipal Company was penalized as nicely however until date these pump stations are consistently working and inflicting environmental catastrophe which overtly violates the Water Prevention and Management of Air pollution Act 1974. It’s value mentioning that these pump stations had been funded by World Financial institution for flood mitigation in Srinagar Metropolis and had been supposed to empty out storm water however these had been related with sewer traces that overtly violates the Water Act 1974. 

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• Views expressed within the article are the creator’s personal and don’t essentially characterize the editorial stance of Kashmir Observer 

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