The Amritsar Municipal Corporation (MC) has disconnected the water supply and sewer connections of a chemical factory and initiated legal action after an inquiry into complaints of contaminated drinking water in Ward No. 35 found that untreated industrial effluent was being discharged into the civic sewerage network.
Acting on the directions of Municipal Commissioner Bikramjit Singh Shergill, the civic body’s field team conducted an emergency inspection following complaints from local residents. According to MC officials, the inspection revealed that Amar Color Chemicals was releasing untreated chemical wastewater directly into the municipal sewer line, leading to contamination of the drinking water supply in the surrounding area and posing a serious public health risk.
The MC said it has begun cleaning and flushing the affected water pipelines to remove contaminated water and restore a safe drinking water supply. Household water connections in the affected locality are also being inspected, while water tankers have been deployed until normal supply is fully restored.
In an enforcement action carried out under the supervision of Superintending Engineer Harpreet Singh, the factory’s water supply and sewer connections were disconnected. The operation was conducted by SDO Rajesh Kumar and JE Gurjit Singh in the presence of Makboolpura SHO Amandeep Kaur and a police team.
The Municipal Corporation has referred the matter to the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) for legal action under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. It has also initiated proceedings for the registration of an FIR against Amar Color Chemicals for allegedly discharging untreated industrial effluent into the municipal sewerage system and endangering public health.
Municipal Commissioner Shergill said the MC was following a zero-tolerance policy against any individual or industrial unit found polluting the city’s sewerage or drinking water infrastructure. He said strict legal action would be taken against those responsible and that the administration was continuously monitoring the situation on priority to ensure the early restoration of safe drinking water in the affected area.
The MC also appealed to residents to immediately report any instance of drinking water contamination or the illegal discharge of chemical waste by industrial units so that prompt action can be taken to protect public health and the environment.
