Residents of Sukhdarshanpur village in Panchkula brought their environmental worries directly to Haryana's Revenue and Disaster Management Minister, Vipul Goel, during a public hearing on Saturday. The villagers expressed serious concerns about an alleged chemical waste leak from a factory located barely 300 metres from their homes.
Inspection Report vs. Public Concern
In response to the villagers' complaint, officials from the state pollution control board presented their findings to the minister. They stated that a joint inspection committee had investigated the matter. This committee included the board's regional officer, the naib tehsildar of Barwala, and a non-official member.
The committee's report concluded that there was no evidence of chemical discharge into the nearby agricultural fields. According to the officials, the core issue was not industrial pollution but persistent waterlogging during the monsoon season.
Minister's Directive for a Permanent Solution
Taking cognizance of the problem faced by the villagers, Minister Vipul Goel issued immediate instructions. He directed the Public Works Department (PWD) executive engineer to ensure the installation of proper drainage pipes. The minister set a deadline of January 5 for this work to be completed, aiming to provide a long-term fix for the waterlogging issue.
The directive came during a meeting of the district public relations and grievance redressal committee, which was chaired by Goel at the PWD Rest House in Sector 1, Panchkula. Deputy Commissioner Satpal Sharma was also present throughout the proceedings.
Other Public Grievances Resolved
The minister heard a total of nine public complaints during the session. A majority of these issues were resolved on the spot, while for the remaining cases, clear directions were issued to the concerned departments for their early disposal.
In a separate complaint, a resident of Majri village highlighted the problem of illegal shops and houses constructed on land belonging to the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP). The estate officer of HSVP informed the meeting that an anti-encroachment drive in Khadag Mangoli village had already led to the recovery of 17.50 acres of land. This land will be rehabilitated in a phased manner. It was further revealed that four to five illegal shops had been sealed as part of this action.
Addressing a complaint from Rajiv Colony residents about non-functional public toilets, Minister Goel directed the Municipal Corporation (MC) to restore the sewerage system within one month by laying new pipelines.
Another grievance came from a resident of Bunga village, who alleged that the PWD had constructed a drain on his private land. The minister instructed the department to conduct a proper demarcation exercise and explore possibilities of relocating the drain outside the complainant's property.
