The ill-monitored industries, which had shifted from the capital decades earlier owing to increasing pollution, have contaminated the ground water with release of industrial waste into the river or in open. The seriousness of the issue can be substantiated from the statistics provided by an NGO, which claims that nearly 400 people from six-odd villages in the vicinity of Chhapraula industrial area (Greater Noida) have died of cancer in last five years while 150 more patients have been detected so far.
Shockingly, instead of taking measures to cure people from the deadly disease, the district health department is busy in face-saving exercise by concealing facts. Over 2,000 poorly-monitored units in eight industrial belts are operating without following norms and are discharging large quantity of untreated industrial waste either in open or on the ground. A survey conducted by a Greater Noida-based NGO — Jai Ho claims the urban and rural population, living in and around Chhaprola industrial belt, Jokhabad industrial area (Bulandshahr), Noida’s Phase-II industrial belt and Bill Akbarpur region are developing cancer, hepatitis and other severe diseases.
Over one lakh people living in the dozens of villages of Chhapraula and Jokhabad are the worst effected. Around 200 people from each village in the region have been diagnosed with several diseases, caused by drinking contaminated water. As many as 150 bed-ridden cancer patients have been found in six villages — Sadullapur, Dujana, Shadopur, Accheja, Kheda-Dharampura and Hathipur-Kheda located in Chhapraula industrial area.
Incessant flow of untreated waste from a battery melting company ‘Gupta Chemical’ in Bill Akbarpur area has also polluted the ground water. The wetland is the major source of water recharge in the area. “The area has hundreds of such industrial units which are running without permission. These units have neither installed Effluent Treatment plant (ETP) nor the authorities have set up a common ETP. Hence, all the industrial waste is released in open”, said Yogesh Nagar, a member of the NGO.
The reports of water sample, tested in a government-approved lab in Noida also found hazardous materials in it. After testing sample in 40 categories, the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) were found to be 1,000 mg per litre as against 600 mg per litre permissible. Meanwhile, the reports of state agencies claim that only TDS of 400 mg per litre is found in the ground water.
RK Garg, CMO of Gautam Budh Nagar said the administration is doing best to cure the patients.
“Although numbers are below national average, we are doing our bit to cure the patients. We are also referring patients to AIIMS for better treatment,” the chief medical officer said.
Shockingly, instead of taking measures to cure people from the deadly disease, the district health department is busy in face-saving exercise by concealing facts. Over 2,000 poorly-monitored units in eight industrial belts are operating without following norms and are discharging large quantity of untreated industrial waste either in open or on the ground. A survey conducted by a Greater Noida-based NGO — Jai Ho claims the urban and rural population, living in and around Chhaprola industrial belt, Jokhabad industrial area (Bulandshahr), Noida’s Phase-II industrial belt and Bill Akbarpur region are developing cancer, hepatitis and other severe diseases.
Over one lakh people living in the dozens of villages of Chhapraula and Jokhabad are the worst effected. Around 200 people from each village in the region have been diagnosed with several diseases, caused by drinking contaminated water. As many as 150 bed-ridden cancer patients have been found in six villages — Sadullapur, Dujana, Shadopur, Accheja, Kheda-Dharampura and Hathipur-Kheda located in Chhapraula industrial area.
Incessant flow of untreated waste from a battery melting company ‘Gupta Chemical’ in Bill Akbarpur area has also polluted the ground water. The wetland is the major source of water recharge in the area. “The area has hundreds of such industrial units which are running without permission. These units have neither installed Effluent Treatment plant (ETP) nor the authorities have set up a common ETP. Hence, all the industrial waste is released in open”, said Yogesh Nagar, a member of the NGO.
The reports of water sample, tested in a government-approved lab in Noida also found hazardous materials in it. After testing sample in 40 categories, the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) were found to be 1,000 mg per litre as against 600 mg per litre permissible. Meanwhile, the reports of state agencies claim that only TDS of 400 mg per litre is found in the ground water.
RK Garg, CMO of Gautam Budh Nagar said the administration is doing best to cure the patients.
“Although numbers are below national average, we are doing our bit to cure the patients. We are also referring patients to AIIMS for better treatment,” the chief medical officer said.