NEWS

Large amounts of industrial pollutants being drained into the Western Yamuna Canal (WYC) here have become a source of misery not only for local residents but also for those living downstream of the canal. The local industries that stand tall as a symbol of unprecedented prosperity that they brought along have created more problems than they have solved for the humans as far as environment and natural resources The units dispose of the industrial discharge either by injecting it directly into the ground (which had been a practice since long and has rendered the underground water of Panipat unfit for consumption) or by draining the pollutants into the WYC, which pollutes the river water.

The state government had been responsive towards this problem and had come up with a new industrial sector, Sector 29 (Part II), on the outskirts of the city, where a common collective water treatment plant was also The common water treatment plant was set up at a cost of Rs 16 crore, but the plant is lying useless as there are no industries there. This plant, if used, could have helped protect water resources from getting polluted. But reluctance on part of industrialists had thwarted the efforts, a pollution board official said. Meanwhile, the draining of industrial discharge into the WYC has become a major problem for residents of Delhi, who get their daily supply of water from the canal. Due to the contamination, Delhi residents have been receiving discoloured water that even has a foul smell.