Drain water brings high crop yield, poor health

Drain water brings high crop yield, poor health
Farmers harness toxic sludge in Lisada drain to irrigate fields but queries over public health remain
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 5
Absence of canal water and unsuitability of groundwater have left hundreds farmers of this cancer-prone district with no other option but to irrigate their fields with the toxic sludge flowing in a drain which passes through their villages here.

A farmer irrigates his field with the toxic sludge flowing in the Lisada drain, which passes through the village. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh

The effect of crops irrigated with toxic waste can be observed in symptoms like plaque on teeth, joint pain and grey hair in the villagers.
Whether it is wheat, cotton, paddy, vegetables or any other crop, farmers of villages Kotbhara, Kot Bakhtu, Kotfatta, Ramgarh Bhunder, Chathewala, Jeewan Singh Wala, Shergarh, Mallwala, Kaile Bandar, Chak Ruldu Singh Wala, Pathrala, Manak Khana and others, located along the banks of the Lisada drain near Bathinda, have been using this dirty, stinking, toxic black water for about two decades to irrigate their crops.
The drain carries sludge and waste of factories located in Barnala district. Shockingly, while crossing Bathinda district, the drain becomes dry as almost the whole of the water gets used in agricultural fields.
During a recent visit to some such villages, it was observed that despite awareness about the adverse effects of the irrigation practice, the officials were not taking adequate steps to rectify the situation.
The official apathy is evident from the fact that farmers, pooling money, have installed motors pumps along the banks of the drain, from where they lift the water that is supplied through kilometers long steel and cemented pipes buried beneath the earth, to the agricultural fields.
Narrating his plight, Satwant Singh, an elderly farmer of village Kotfatta, said, "This water stinks, so it is obvious that it would be leaving its harmful effect on crops also. Taking precautions, we sell whatever we produce in the market and buy canal irrigated yield of crops for our own consumption."
Showing the carrots sown in his field for self consumption, Balwinder Singh of village Kotbhara said, "The crop will get spoiled if I do not sell it in the market as my grandchildren have clearly refused to consume it as it has been irrigated by this muck." "Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the SAD (B) candidate for Lok Saha elections came to a nearby village but when we were about to inform her about the problem, a leader, who was acting as her guide, flipped the issue saying that it was farmers who use the drain water of their own will due to its high productivity," alleged Jaswant Singh of Kotbhara.
Civil Surgeon, Bathinda, Neelam Bajaj said, "The task to check the water and its effect on crops is to be done by the agriculture department. Moreover, the laboratory tests are very expensive but soon, we will try to get some of the crops examined, considering the public health." Replying to a query, Chief Agricultural Officer, Bathinda, Paramjeet Singh Sandhu said, "To check the menace, we had requested the Punjab Agricultural University authorities. But so far, no response has been received." "When the crop is harvested this time, we will take samples to get it examined," he assured.
DC, Bathinda, Rahul Tewari said, "Till now, no formal complaint has come to me regarding this. So I cannot visit and check the crop and the water on my own. But if somebody lodges a complaint, then we will take immediate action.”