HC notice to HP govt, CS on drinking water, borewell pollution at Nalagarh

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh High Court on Monday issued notice to state's Chief Secretary, Member Secretary, HP State Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board and Deputy Commissioner, Solan in connection with issues pertaining large scale contamination of drinking water drawn by the locals

from the traditional wells and borewells located near an industrial unit at Nalagarh in Solan district.

It was alleged that untreated chemical discharge at the Shivalik Solid Waste Management Plant at Village Majra ( Nalagarh) has caused pollution and neither the Pollution control board nor Deputy Commissioner had taken any steps to check the discharge from the unit.

A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua passed the orders on a petition taken up suo moto by the Court as Public Interest Litigation on a letter written to Chief Justice by one Joginder Singh of village Majra in District Solan.

The petitioner has alleged that Shivalik Solid Waste Management plant was set-up in Village Mazra, 15 years ago after obtaining NOC from the Panchayat by misleading it that an environment project was going to be

set up there.

But, later, when Shivalik Solid Waste Management Plant was built, the villagers came to know that hazardous chemical solid toxic waste of the different factories of Himachal Pradesh was to be brought to this Solid Waste plant and responsibility for treating this solid waste had been

entrusted to the plant.

He has alleged that for the last 15 years the solid waste is being dumped in the ground by the aforesaid plant by covering it with soil, without proper treatment.

With passage of time, the water of natural sources, wells and borewells of Panchayat Mazra and the surrounding villages has become poisonous due to seepage of chemically contaminated water of this Plant into the ground and resultantly foul smell

is coming from water.

He has alleged that villagers made many complaints to the Pollution Control Board as well as various other higher authorities but till date no action has been taken against the Solid waste company.