Srinagar Aug 21 (KNS) : The J&K Legislative House Committee on Environment headed by M Y Tarigami on Thursday visited the Doodh Ganga water treatment plant at Kralpora which supplies drinking water to seven lakh population in Srinagar uptown. The members of the committee Dr Sajjad Shafi- MLA Uri, Mushtaq Guroo MLA Chanapora, Irshad Rasool Kar MLA Sopore, Perzada Feroz MLA Devsar were also present in the meeting along with local MLA of Chadoora Ali Mohammad Dar.
The Committee grilled the officers of PHE Jal Shakti Department with different questions as some respected citizens from Malik Bagh, Kralpora, Gopalpora and other areas were also present on the occasion who raised their concern about supply of contaminated water. Chairman of Committee MY Tarigami collected the details after interacting with officers of PHE Jal Shakto Department including the incharge engineers of Doodh Ganga water treatment plant. M Y Tarigami said that there should be no compromise at all on supply of clean drinking water to people and officials who are found responsible in supplying contaminated water would be taken to task.
MLA Chadoora Ali Mohammad Dar, MLA Chanapora Mushtaq Ahmad Guroo raised their serious concern about the supply of contaminated water for weeks by Doodh Ganga plant as the alum used to check turbidity was out of stock. Noted citizens of the area including Dr Rouf Malik, Farooq Ahmad, Fayaz Ahmad Bhat, Liaqat Ahmad, Raashid Ashraf also raised their concern before the committee. Dr Rouf Malik suggested before the committee that Information Education & Communication -IEC work should be taken up and local imams be involved in this campaign. President Markazi Aufaq Committee Jamia Masjid Dharambug Kralpora Dr Showkat Dar also alleged that they were being supplied contaminated water for weeks and on many occasions the water supply was cut as water was highly turbid due to non application of alum.
Social Activist Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat who has taken Doodh Ganga pollution and mining case to the National Green Tribunal-NGT more than 4 years back criticized the authorities especially PHE Jal Shakti Department, UEED, SMC, District Administration Budgam & Srinagar for not taking steps to ensure people get safe drinking water.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelHe said that from June onwards there has been dearth of alum and Govt failed to procure it for months and because of this shortage the Doodh Ganga water was not treated for weeks together ? He said that Govt has sanctioned Rs 140 Crore for setting up some STP's on Doodh Ganga on NGTs orders but that work is not being taken up even as Rs 67 crores have already been released by J&K Housing & Urban Development Department-HUDD towards Urban Environment Engineering Department-UEED Kashmir. He said he can provide all the valuable information to the Environment Committee. M Y Tarigami, Chairman asked him to submit the documents before the environment committee soon so that a detailed report is tabled in the state assembly.
Untreated sewage discharge into Doodh Ganga is of the most alarming issue as this water is supplied to 7 lakh population in Srinagar uptown areas & some parts of Chadoora like Solina, Bagat, Rambagh, Natipora, Chanapora, Sanatnagar, Parraypora, Hyderpora, Pirbagh, Humhama, Rawalpora, Kralpora, Mochwa, Baghe Mehtab, Gopalpora, BK Pora and other areas.
Pertunenly for Pumping of untreated sewage and dumping of waste in Doodh Ganga , the NGT has already penalised MC Chadoora with a huge penalty of Rs 1 crore. In addition to SMC & DMO Budgam were also penalised with Rs 1 crore each. In 2023 more than 1.50 Crores environmental compensation was imposed again on the Municipal Committee Chadoora in Raja Muzaffar Bhat V/S Govt of J&K and others.
Chief Engineer Mumtaz Chowdhary, Regional Director JK Pollution Control Committee, Regional Director Environment & Ecology Department, Executive Engineer Water Works Division Srinagar Ajaz Rafiq, AEE Doodh Ganga water treatment plant Iqra Ameen and dozens of other officers were also present during the visit of Environment Committee team.(KNS)