New Delhi/Chandigarh, December 20, 2024 — Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav has responded to concerns raised by Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu regarding severe pollution in the Ghaggar and Budhe rivers. A meeting has been scheduled for January 19, 2025, to address this environmental crisis and explore solutions.
The meeting will bring together senior officials from the Ministry of Environment, state pollution control boards, and Sandhu, who has been actively campaigning for action against the increasing pollution. The focus will be on improving coordination between Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, which are all contributing to the contamination.
Sandhu has underlined the adverse impact of pollution on public health, including rising cancer rates and other illnesses in the affected regions. The pollution in the Ghaggar and Budhe rivers, mainly from industrial waste, untreated sewage, and agricultural runoff, has severely impacted water quality and ecosystems.
The Budhe River, a tributary of the Sutlej, has been particularly affected by toxic industrial effluents, including chromium and arsenic, which have rendered the water unfit for human use. Industrial discharge from textile and steel industries is a major contributor to the pollution, with severe consequences for agriculture and aquatic life.
In addition to ecological damage, the pollution has led to the extinction of fish species and a decline in migratory bird populations, further stressing the need for immediate action. Sandhu has called for urgent measures to prevent further environmental and health damage, with particular focus on the livelihoods of farmers affected by the contamination.
The upcoming high-level meeting will aim to create a comprehensive strategy to combat pollution in these rivers and restore the affected ecosystems.
