Cites an ‘exhaustive’ survey conducted by govt in affected areas; PTU expert rubbishes claim
Chandigarh, December 16
Disparaging reports linking high prevalence of cancer to brackish water in Malwa belt of Punjab,India Chief Secretary SC Agrawal has said a Health Department report had found that there was no link between water and the disease.
Speaking to The Tribune on the sidelines of a two day workshop on "Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Services" that concluded here today, the Chief Secretary said the Health Department carried out an "exhaustive" survey covering the people in affected Malwa areas, including Bathinda, Muktsar, Mansa, Ferozepur, Moga, Barnala, Faridkot and Sangrur districts. "No link between cancer and the quality of water was found," he said.
Agrawal said, "We agree that the belt definitely has high incidence of cancer, but the total average is far less than the national average." He quoted a national average data of the Indian Council of Medical Research, Delhi, which showed that there were 10 to 40 persons per lakh in Punjab who had been found suffering from carcinogenic diseases against the national average of 90 to 100 persons per lakh.
Countering the Chief Secretary's claims, Kheti Virasat (NGO) chairman Chander Prakash said the "government claims defied the ground reality". An Assistant Professor at Punjab Technical University in Jalandhar, Prakash said, "I am surprised at the findings of the report. In the past, a Guru Nanak Dev University (Amritsar) study confirmed the presence of uranium in water samples. It also reported heavy presence of fluorides, which is evident from the condition of the residents' teeth in Malwa belt."
Subsequently, a Punjab Agricultural University (Ludhiana) report pointed out the presence of arsenic, which is also associated with cancer, he claimed. A Central Pollution Control Committee report, too, indicated that the water in Malwa belt was unfit for consumption.
Chandigarh, December 16
Disparaging reports linking high prevalence of cancer to brackish water in Malwa belt of Punjab,India Chief Secretary SC Agrawal has said a Health Department report had found that there was no link between water and the disease.
Speaking to The Tribune on the sidelines of a two day workshop on "Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Services" that concluded here today, the Chief Secretary said the Health Department carried out an "exhaustive" survey covering the people in affected Malwa areas, including Bathinda, Muktsar, Mansa, Ferozepur, Moga, Barnala, Faridkot and Sangrur districts. "No link between cancer and the quality of water was found," he said.
Agrawal said, "We agree that the belt definitely has high incidence of cancer, but the total average is far less than the national average." He quoted a national average data of the Indian Council of Medical Research, Delhi, which showed that there were 10 to 40 persons per lakh in Punjab who had been found suffering from carcinogenic diseases against the national average of 90 to 100 persons per lakh.
Countering the Chief Secretary's claims, Kheti Virasat (NGO) chairman Chander Prakash said the "government claims defied the ground reality". An Assistant Professor at Punjab Technical University in Jalandhar, Prakash said, "I am surprised at the findings of the report. In the past, a Guru Nanak Dev University (Amritsar) study confirmed the presence of uranium in water samples. It also reported heavy presence of fluorides, which is evident from the condition of the residents' teeth in Malwa belt."
Subsequently, a Punjab Agricultural University (Ludhiana) report pointed out the presence of arsenic, which is also associated with cancer, he claimed. A Central Pollution Control Committee report, too, indicated that the water in Malwa belt was unfit for consumption.
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