Punjab: Several activists hold protest, demand closure of dyeing units for polluting water

Ludhiana, Dec 3 (PTI) Police on Tuesday detained several activists, including women who gathered under the banner of 'Kala Pani Morcha' to demand the closure of dyeing units in the city, alleging severe groundwater contamination.

The protesters, led by social activist Lakha Sidhana, convener of the Kala Pani Morcha, alleged that untreated effluents discharged from dyeing units of Ludhiana were polluting the 'Buddha Nullah' (a drain of polluting effluents).

These toxic effluents, they claimed, were seeping into the ground and contaminating the groundwater with carcinogenic chemicals, causing a rise in cancer cases in the Malwa region and parts of Rajasthan.

Amitoj Maan, who was a part of the protest said, "Highly toxic effluents has led to the spread of cancer in these areas." The protesters cited various medical and scientific studies suggesting that groundwater pollution was the main cause of the spread of cancer in the region.

However, the dyeing unit owners along with their workers staged a counter-protest by sitting on a 'dharna' on Tajpur road here, alleging that the self-styled environmentalists were only trying to blackmail them.

All the dyeing units have treatment plants and there is also a common treatment plant, asserted President of the Dyeing Federation Ahok Makkar.

He said that they were strictly following all the guidelines of pollution control.

A large number of protestors sat on the 'dharna' opposite Verka milk plant on the Ludhiana - Ferozepur main highway.

Heavy police force has been deployed. PTI COR CHS OZ OZ