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Himachal Toxic Effluents Poison Punjab's Satluj River
14 Feb
Summary
- Industrial waste pollutes Sirsa Nadi, impacting Punjab's Satluj River.
- Groundwater depletion forces farmers to deepen wells at high cost.
- Heavy metals in water pose significant cancer risks to populations.
An environmental crisis has erupted between Himachal Pradesh and Punjab due to industrial pollution. Untreated toxic effluents from Himachal's Baddi-Barotiwala industrial belt are being discharged into the Sirsa Nadi, which carries them directly into Punjab's Satluj River.
This industrial growth has severely impacted local resources. The extensive use of deep bore wells by pharmaceutical industries has led to a groundwater deficit, causing water levels to drop by 8 to 25 meters over the past 15 years. Farmers are forced to incur substantial costs to deepen their agricultural wells.
