Sugar mill 'pollutes' lone water source of village in Latur

Molasses released from a sugar mill has polluted a reservoir, the only source of water in Darji Borgaon village in Renapur tehsil of Latur district in Maharashtra, locals have alleged.
Rena Co-operative Sugar Mill, controlled by a local political leader, allegedly discharged tonnes of molasses in the reservoir earlier this month.
Maharashtra Pollution Control Board has issued a notice to the mill, the district collector said when contacted.
"The villagers, along with the Art of Living organisation, built this cement nullah bund at a cost of Rs 6 lakh. It is the only source of drinking water for the village. After it was built last August, the water lasted us entire year," said advocate Jabbar Pathan, a resident.

"In the first week of this month, molasses from Rena sugar mill were unscrupulously discharged into the stream, which has left the water unfit for drinking and destroyed the aquatic life in the reservoir," he added.
Bhagwat Mane, deputy sarpanch, claimed that the authorities were reluctant to take action against the mill.

"We have no option but to depend on tankers for the drinking water now. In spite of writing a letter to the collector on August 8 and tehsildar on August 12, no action has been taken," Mane said.
Latur district collector Pandurang Pole said the MPCB had issued a notice to the mill.

"It is true that Rena cooperative sugar mill has discharged molasses into the water which caused pollution. We have received complaints from villagers, but as the issue was not under my jurisdiction, we informed the MPCB which issued a notice to the mill," he said.
"We have decided to provide the village with a special water supply scheme, and I will make sure that the mill bears the cost of it. Till then, we have arranged tankers," Pole said.