FAISALABAD: The Irrigation department has yet to determine who is the accused -- either the sugar mills owner or its administration -- in a case to be lodged for discharging of the toxic effluent of the mills into the Lower Gogera Branch canal in Samundri.

The irrigation department had on Saturday last detected that the Gourmet Sugar mills was disposing of its toxic water into the canal. The inlet pipe of the mills had been removed, but the department has yet not submitted an application to police for the registration of the case.

Irrigation SDO Muhammad Fazil said he would visit the mills during next few days to ask the admin manager about those responsible for pumping the toxic effluent into the canal.

Villagers said the mills had been openly discharging its effluent into the canal and polluting the water being used for irrigation and drinking of animals.

They said the parliamentarians had repeatedly been informed and requested to approach the quarters concerned to move against the mills.

They said the Shamim sugar mills was initially owned by the Sharif family who had sold it to the Gourmet.

Villagers said the mills had been discharging the toxic chemicals into the canal due to the negligence of irrigation officials.

They said the irrigation officials failed to keep an eye on the illegal conduct of the mills despite their tall claim of effective monitoring of the canal system.

They said the department didn’t spare any farmer even over a minor mistake, but it turned a blind eye to the wrongdoings of the influential mills administration.

Villagers said the foul smell gripped the residents, making it impossible for villagers to breath in fresh air.

PML-N MPA Rao Kashif Raheem said the mills had been polluting the canal water with impunity due to the alleged backing of the irrigation department.

The MPA said he talked to the authorities concerned which moved against the mills on Saturday last and stopped its administration from discharging the waste water into the canal.

He said the authorities had also carried out a spray in the canal to save nearby localities from the ill-effects of the discharged chemicals. The MPA said the issue would be brought into the notice of the Punjab government high-ups to ensure clean and safe environment for dwellers of the area.

Pakistan Agriculture and Dairy Farmers Association’s Faisalabad division president Rana Faqir Hussain said the effluent of the mills was causing damage to crops, fertile land and animals.

He said the crop being irrigated with the polluted water was also causing various diseases.

He said the irrigation department had clear-cut rules which barred anyone from disposing of effluents into the canals. Gogera Lower division EXEN Tahir Javeed said the inlet pipe being used for discharging the effluent had been removed with no legal action against the mills.

He said only the inlet pipe of the mills had been removed as they had been discharging the effluent without seeking permission from the irrigation department.

He said the SDO concerned had been directed to get registered an FIR against the mills.

The SDO said he had been directed on Thursday to move for the registration of a case against the mills administration or its owner. The mills admin manager would be contacted in this regard, he added.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2017