Garhshankar 18 December- Due to non-implementation of Pollution Control Act, Clean Air Act 1981 in the last 49 years, allowing the environment to get polluted and giving free rein to the destruction of natural resources and people is a big gamble with the health of the people.
Strongly condemning the serious trend of burning industrial waste of plastic and rubber mixed with real fuel by the owners of Jaggery making mills in Hoshiarpur district as well as in the areas around Garhshankar, he said that the Pollution Control and Health Department of the Punjab Government is completely asleep and in connivance with these illegal mills is allowing them to throw Punjab into the furnace of cancer and asthma.
He said that when he went to the spot and saw shoddy and illegal work being done, the ground slipped from under his feet and there were heaps of industrial waste there, is the Punjab Government sleeping, a false claim is being made that Punjab is meeting the world environmental standards. It is a matter of shame that the governments are not doing even 1 percent of the work to create a pollution-free system. The pollution that is being allowed to be created will land people in hospitals in Punjab in about 10 years. 15 lakh people are dying every year in India due to these negligence. Some owners said that this garbage has been bought at the rate of 50 paise per kg. The owners of the garbage are not aware of the ill effects of burning rubber and plastic.
In fact, when this garbage burns, it also gives a foul smell and its smoke not only gives a foul smell but also destroys the environment and also spreads cancer and asthma to people. Piles of smoke can be seen on the roads. This destruction is happening entirely due to the connivance and negligence of the governments. This smoke is so poisonous that anyone who goes inside it will have bad health. What will happen to the working children living in the smoke generated on the streets? Are the Punjab government and the officials of the Pollution Control Department now preparing to spread a major disease like cancer? Are we building a healthy Punjab or are we playing with constitutional rights by making Punjab cancer-stricken? Due to such negligence, Punjab has already become a home for cancer, it is all the governments' fault.
Dhiman said that the Labour Department, which falsely claims to control child labour, is proving to be completely unsuccessful in stopping children working in dangerous ways in the name of eating a handful of jaggery. Neither has any officer imposed any safety rules on the rollers running there, which are very important. It is a matter of shame that many officers and ministers of the Punjab Government travel on that highway through that deadly smoke. Why did no senior officer of any concerned department ever pay attention to this? Will everything be allowed to go on like this for the sake of votes, who will stop this?
On this occasion, Dhiman drew the attention of the Additional Task Force of Punjab Pollution Control Department, District Health Officer and Deputy Commissioner Mrs. Komal Mittal by sending them an electronic message. On this occasion, Executive Director of Punjab Pollution Control Department Asfar came and took immediate action. He has not understood his responsibility. Burning of industrial waste is completely illegal and the responsibility of its treatment lies with the Pollution Control Department.
Dhiman has appealed to the people to take this spreading toxic pollution seriously and raise their voice and IAS officers should rise above political pressure and contribute in making Punjab pollution free. His complaint has been sent to the National Green Tribunal, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, besides the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, New Delhi.