Six-member central group in Mansurwala village to gather groundwater samples
Anirudh Gupta
Ferozepur, February 22
A four-member particular group from the Central Air pollution Management Board (CPCB) together with two officers from the Central Floor Water Board (CGWB), underneath the Ministry of Jal Shakti, right now visited Mansurwala village.
In keeping with sources, the group was constituted to go to the plant after the matter was taken up by Jasbir Singh Gill, Member of Parliament from Khadoor Sahib, who had written to the CPCB on December 23, 2022 elevating the problem concerning the air pollution of the groundwater within the village allegedly as a result of industrial effluents generated by the ethanol plant, as claimed by protesters who’ve been demanding that the plant be shut.
The members of the group embrace Dr Narinder Sharma (Extra Director, CPCB), Amit Kumar Sagar, Shubham and Suraj Guleria and CGWB members KG Bhartiya and Manish Shrivastva, Assistant Hydrogeologist. Sources mentioned the group would accumulate the samples in and across the ethanol plant and ship these to the CPCB head workplace in New Delhi.
Earlier, 4 groups constituted by the state authorities — Well being Evaluation Committee, Soil Inspection Committee and Animal Husbandry Committee — had collected samples from varied locations and had submitted their experiences to the district administration, which additional despatched it to PPCB for an in depth evaluation. The fourth report of the water contamination committee has not been made public but.
On January 17, the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had introduced the closure of the plant via a video uploaded on his Twitter account. Nonetheless, the protesters had refused to raise the dharna and had requested for written orders of the CM, that are but to be issued.
When contacted, MP Jasbir Gill mentioned he had met and brought up the problem with the CPCB Chairman. “This matter just isn’t solely associated to this space, it’s involved with the air we inhale and water we eat,” he mentioned.
Rajesh Dhiman, Deputy Commissioner, mentioned these groups would work independently of any state authorities company. “The administration has offered all of them the help in order that their work just isn’t affected,” mentioned the DC.
It’s price mentioning that the matter concerning the alleged contamination of groundwater attributable to the plant is subjudice in each, the NGT and the Punjab and Haryana Excessive Courtroom. The subsequent listening to of the NGT will probably be happen on February 23, whereas the listening to within the Excessive Courtroom is scheduled for February 28.
In the meantime, members of the “Sanjha Morcha” met the DC and handed over a memorandum to him. The protesters once more demanded that the written orders concerning the everlasting closure of the plant and cancellation of the FIRs registered towards the protesters must be issued.