Northern Ireland Water has been fined

THE need for moving the tannery units away from city's Hazaribagh area has always been felt acutely by the environmentalists and the decision makers alike, considering the severe negative impact of the industry on environment. But little progress has been made to relocate them in Savar, even after three years of inauguration of the relocation project there.

The much-awaited relocation of tanneries from Hazaribagh to proposed 'leather estate' in Savar is facing various complications as the government and the industry owners have yet to settle several issues even three years after inauguration of the relocation project. Tannery owners are reluctant to shift their businesses until the government provides them with compensation and other facilities. However, the government is apparently not much willing to meet these demands. Complexity in setting up the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) is also hindering the process, said sources.

Municipal commissioner Jairaj Phatak on Sunday inspected the ongoing work at Mithi river after the Congress MLA from Kurla, Naseem Khan, expressed displeasure over the second phase of the widening project. Khan claimed that the work was moving slowly and demanded completion of the project before the onset of the monsoon.

As many as 135 gastroenteritis patients were reportedly brought to various state-run hospitals in the district within the last 48 hours, amid public complaints of water contamination in some areas and lack of required medicines at the health facilities. The areas worst affected by the disease include Karampur, 9-11/WB, Peoples Colony, Muslim Town, College Town, Mailsi suberbs, Masani Bagh, Garah More, Tibba Sultanpur, Luddan, Machiwal and Thingi Colony, where dozens of gastro cases were reported, most of them children.

Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party has expressed displeasure about the manner in which the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has undertaken sewerage treatment for the rivers in the city, the latter has sought fresh funds under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for continuing the work. The civic administration is also readying a plan to address the sewerage treatment demands up to 2015. The BJP leadership is not amused, saying that PMC should address present day issues before gazing into the future.

The Delhi government wants to ensure that people do not throw garbage in drains leading to the Yamuna river in the wake of upcoming Commonwealth Games and the river far from being cleaned. The government plans to build walls around the major drains to ensure that no solid waste and other garbage flow into the river Yamuna. More than Rs 100 crores has been earmarked for the work to cover the major drains leading to the Yamuna along with the beautification of the areas near the drains. The special adviser to Delhi government, Mr R.

The price of haphazard development is paid by residents of BHEL Nagar and Amman Nagar, who have endured a persistent water stagnation problem for over 10 years now. Well into the summer, buffaloes find a cool haven in the water and sewage stagnant inside the colony. "The water dries for a few months from June or July. Since the layout of over three acres area was occupied from 1992, residents have had to deal with stagnant water two or three feet deep for six to eight months a year,' said Adhi Narayanan, Secretary, BHEL Nagar and Amman Nagar Association.

Floods in Ratnapura and Kalutara districts have eased but authorities warned of mosquito and water-borne diseases. "Polluted drinking water is the main problem in flood affected areas, while several measures have been taken by Divisional Secretariats in these areas to control the spread of disease," sources said. A team of officers from the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) would make a visit today to report on the situation that has arisen due to the floods in Ratnapura district, the Officer of Ratnapura District Disaster Management Centre said.