Par panel suggests ways to curb pollution in Amritsar

A House panel today suggested a slew of measures to the Punjab government to curb increasing levels of air, water and noise pollution in Amritsar, even as it blamed industries and urban local bodies for contributing to environmental pollution.
The measures include in-house treatment of municipal solid waste and strict implementation of Noise Pollution Control Rules, 2000.
"The department of local government and department of Transport must look into the issues namely disposal and transportation of carcasses of slaughtered animals, disposal of municipal solid waste, enforcement system to implement the rainwater harvesting mechanism in the construction projects," a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests said in its report.

It said that the sectors contributing to environment pollution in Amritsar were mainly industries and urban local bodies including municipal corporation and the bio-medical wastes generated by health care facilities.
Noting that about 655 metric tonnes of solid waste is generated per day in the jurisdiction of municipal corporation, the panel suggested that in-house treatment of municipal solid waste must be encouraged.
"It will produce methane gas to use in the household kitchen for cooking purposes. The municipal solid waste generated by the marriage palaces must be disposed off in an environmentally sound manner," it said.

The city is also facing challenges regarding noise pollution, particularly during festive season, to which panel suggested prohibition of use of high sound pressure horns by the vehicles running in the city, causing noise pollution.

"No DJ systems and loudspeakers be allowed after 10 PM, which causes noise pollution in the locality," the report said.
"In walled city of Amritsar, the electricity operated three wheelers may be allowed and vehicles running without pollution control certificate must be challenged," it said.