Supply of Polluted Water from Doodh Ganga Plant?

Srinagar, Aug 21: The J&K Legislative House Committee on Environment, headed by Muhammad Yusuf Tarigami, on Thursday visited the Doodh Ganga water treatment plant at Kralpora which supplies drinking water to seven lakh population in Srinagar uptown.

The members of the committee Sajjad Shafi, MLA Uri, Mushtaq Guroo, MLA Chanapora, Irshad Rasool Kar, MLA Sopore, Peerzada Feroz, MLA Devsar were also present in the meeting along with local MLA of Chadoora Ali Muhammad Dar.

The committee grilled the officers of PHE Jal Shakti Department with different questions, as some respected citizens from Malik Bagh, Kralpora, Gopalpora, and other areas were also present on the occasion, who raised their concerns about the supply of contaminated water.

Chairman of the Committee Muhammad Yusuf Tarigami collected the details after interacting with officers of the PHE Jal Shakto Department, including the incharge engineers of Doodh Ganga water treatment plant.

Tarigami said that there should be no compromise at all on the supply of clean drinking water to people, and officials who are found responsible in supplying contaminated water would be taken to task.

MLA Chadoora Ali Muhammad Dar, MLA Chanapora Mushtaq Ahmad Guroo raised their serious concern about the supply of contaminated water for weeks by the Doodh Ganga plant, as the alum used to check turbidity was out of stock. Noted citizens of the area, including Dr Rouf Malik, Farooq Ahmad, Fayaz Ahmad Bhat, Liaqat Ahmad, and Raashid Ashraf, also raised their concerns before the committee.

Dr Rouf Malik suggested before the committee that Information, Education, and Communication work should be taken up, and local Imams should be involved in this campaign. President Markazi Aufaq Committee Jamia Masjid Dharambug Kralpora Showkat Dar also alleged that they were being supplied contaminated water for weeks, and on many occasions, the water supply was cut as the water was highly turbid due to the non-application of alum.

Social activist Raja Muzaffar Bhat, who has taken the Doodh Ganga pollution and mining case to the National Green Tribunal more than 4 years back, criticised the authorities, especially the PHE Jal Shakti Department, UEED, SMC, district administration Budgam, and Srinagar, for not taking steps to ensure people get safe drinking water.

He said that from June onwards, there has been a dearth of alum, and the government failed to procure it for months, and because of this shortage, the Doodh Ganga water was not treated for weeks together.

He said that the government has sanctioned Rs 140 crore for setting up some STPs on Doodh Ganga on NGT orders, but that work is not being taken up even as Rs 67 crore have already been released by J&K Housing and Urban Development Department towards Urban Environment Engineering Department-UEED Kashmir.

He said he can provide all the valuable information to the Environment Committee. Tarigami asked him to submit the documents before the environment committee soon so that a detailed report is tabled in the assembly.

Untreated sewage discharge into the Doodh Ganga is one of the most alarming issues, as this water is supplied to a 7 lakh population in Srinagar uptown areas and some parts of Chadoora like Solina, Bagat, Rambagh, Natipora, Chanapora, Sanatnagar, Parraypora, Hyderpora, Pirbagh, Humhama, Rawalpora, Kralpora, Mochwa, Baghe Mehtab, Gopalpora, BK Pora, and other areas.

For pumping of untreated sewage and dumping of waste in Doodh Ganga, the NGT has already penalised MC Chadoora with a huge penalty of Rs 1 crore.

In addition to SMC and DMO, Budgam was also penalised with Rs 1 crore each.

In 2023, more than Rs 1.50 crores of environmental compensation was imposed again on the Municipal Committee  Chadoora in Raja Muzaffar Bhat versus the Government of J&K and others. Chief Engineer Mumtaz Chowdhary, Regional Director JK Pollution Control Committee, Regional Director Environment and Ecology Department, Executive Engineer Water Works Division Srinagar Ajaz Rafiq, AEE Doodh Ganga water treatment plant, Iqra Ameen, and dozens of other officers were also present during the visit of the Environment Committee team.