Barmer MP raises Balotra pollution issue in Lok Sabha

Time of India

2 days ago

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Jaisalmer: In a Zero Hour reference to rising pollution in Balotra, Lok Sabha MP from Barmer, Ummedaram Beniwal, accused the state govt of negligence, corruption and administrative failure in addressing the environmental crisis.
Beniwal said illegal factories in Balotra, Pali, and Jodhpur districts have blatantly violated environmental regulations, while toxic chemical water from these factories flooded fields, reservoirs, schools, homes, and even cremation grounds, submerging villages under two to three feet of polluted water.
The contamination, Beniwal alleged, rendered agricultural land barren, destroyed vegetation, killed livestock and wildlife, and disrupted daily life for thousands of villagers, he said.
Beniwal added that govt-run common effluent treatment plants (CEPT) and effluent treatment plants (ETP) exist only on paper and that these facilities have been non-functional for years, despite govt claims of their operation.
He accused the Rajasthan Pollution Control Board and state authorities of ignoring repeated orders from the high court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT), and alleged that central govt investigation teams collude with corrupt officials and industrialists to produce misleading reports while pollution continues unchecked.
Beniwal warned that without immediate and strict action, the pollution crisis could escalate into a severe public health disaster.
He urged both central and state govts to prioritise the issue and take decisive steps to prevent further tragedy. The crisis has had direct impact on local communities. In Doli village, the govt high school was closed for 15 days due to chemical water flooding, raising concerns about building safety. After a villager's death on July 24, the cremation could not be performed because the cremation ground was waterlogged, leading villagers to block a highway in protest. In response, the administration ordered villagers to vacate their homes, shifting responsibility onto the affected residents. The situation is worsening in surrounding areas such as Araba, Melba, Dhawa, and Rajeshwar Nagar, where toxic water has accumulated in fields, public buildings, and homes. Beniwal warned that chemical waste from factories in Jodhpur, Pali, and Balotra is also polluting the historic Maruganga Luni River and its tributaries, endangering water sources and the region's biodiversity.
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