Fish ponds to serve as pollution benchmark

In a novel way to check factories from flushing waste into a river, it has now been made mandatory for industrial units in the Baddi and Barotiwala industrial towns of Himachal Pradesh to build fish ponds.

The treated waste water flowing out from each factory in these towns will now have to flow into a fish pond. And only if fish survive in that water will it be allowed to flow into the nearby Sarsa river.

The State Pollution Control Board has decided to get tough with industrialists who have been accused of allowing untreated factory waste into the Sarsa river, often killing fish and other marine life in it.

The water of the river is reportedly unfit for human and cattle consumption and is also unsuitable for irrigation.

"It will now be compulsory for all industrial units to treat their factory waste and install a fish pond to test the treatment of the outgoing water," said Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board Member Secretary SP Vasudeva.

"By adopting this practice the industrialists will know if their waste treatment plant is effective or not and will help avoid polluting the Sarsa river," he said. Officials said only a handful of companies had set up these ponds so far, but an awareness drive is being carried out to build more such ponds.

Baddi and Barotiwala, located some 120 km from here, are some of the fastest-growing industrial clusters in northern India. The growth has been rapid since the Central government announced a tax holiday almost four years ago.

Baddi and Barotiwala have attracted bulk of the Rs 22,000 crore proposed investments in this period from industries all over the country. This rush has led to environment hazards in the area.