villagers and townsfolk of Lalkuan, Bindukhatta, Pantnagar, Kichha, Bazpur and Kashipur in Uttaranchal's terai belt are beset by water and air pollution. The districts of Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar and Hardwar have a number of red-category (most polluting) paper and pulp units and distilleries.

"In Kashipur for instance, there are 18 to 20 pulp and paper mills, most of which are polluting,' says Subhash Panwar, junior engineer, State Pollution Control Board (spcb), Uttaranchal at Haldwani. Some of these are Multiwal, Cheema, Banwari, Goraya, Naini, Nainin and Siddeswari Paper Mills. The Central Pollution Control Board has found that out of 24 highly polluting units in the state, 11 units have very poor pollution control facilities.

Rivers polluted, no freshwater Most of the terai rivers like Kosi and Ramganga are polluted by industrial wastes after entering the plains.spcb has declared the waters of Dhella, Bahella, Kichha and Pilakhar unfit for human consumption. Dissolved oxygen levels