JODHPUR: It is a 14-year-old battle against ruthless killing of Bandi River in Pali district. The moment it reaches Pali, the effluent starts merging with its water and the damage begins. The effluent discharged by about 200 textile units in Pali district not only devastated the ecology of the region but also stripped it of its agrarian economy.“The damage is irreversible today as the soil here has completely ruined and the groundwater has been so contaminated that even if the corrective measures taken today, it will take years to turn it usable”, says Mahaveer Singh Sukarlai , a crusader whose 14-year-long battle has not only racked up the entire community, concerned for the environment today but also has paved the way for bringing in some compelling measures by way of the intervention of the National Green Tribunal. Sukarlai, who was terribly pained to see the industrial discharge wreaking havoc to the agriculture land and gradual killing of the river Bandi, a tributary of river Luni , referred to as Maru-Ganga, and decided to intervene at the age of 24.Today, because of his endeavours, the farmers of the region have been fighting against the apathetic system and incorrigible industries under the banner of Kissan Paryavaran Sangharsh Samiti to ensure that no untreated effluent makes its way into the river.The matter was taken to the high court in 2004 by him on an individual basis but in order to turn it into a mass movement, he filed a PIL in the high court in 2012 under the banner of samiti after seeing no tangible corrective measures to check this pollution.“In 2014, the matter finally went to the NGT and the harshest of the order till then, was passed by the tribunal, which directed to shut all the 200 industries until the compliance of its directions are ensured,” said Sukarlai adding that as a result, the industries here remained shut for about 10 long months.He said that the river is free from any pollution until it reaches Pali.
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