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Battala Haora River – Pollution downs water quality
TIWN
Battala Haora River – Pollution downs water quality
PHOTO : A dead body of Cow in the Haora River near water Treatment plant. TIWN File Photo

AGARTALA, November 19 (TIWN): Rivers are natural water bodies having various beneficial uses for mankind. Even after enactment of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution)Act as early as in 1974, water quality continues to deteriorate at Agartala Battala Haora River – one of the major river as well as the only source of water for the people of Agartala.
Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in these bodies of water. In almost all cases the effect is damaging not only to individual species and populations, but also to the natural biological communities.

Haora River is the lifeline of Agartala city because it fulfills the major demand of drinking water as well as water for other purposes of the entire population of Agartala city. It also fulfills the total demand of the families who reside near the banks of the river from Champaknagar to Bangladesh border area. Haora is one of the ten major rivers of Tripura. The river originating from the eastern side of the Baramura range flows westerly through the alluvial plains and passes by the southern embankment of the capital city of Agartala.

The water of Haora river is the main source of drinking water for the people of Agartala and its surrounding areas from Champaknagar to Bangladesh border. Previously the river water was pollution free due to less anthropogenic interferences. Presently, the number of inhabitants on the banks of the river is increasing very fast. As the inhabitants of the river bank belong to the section Below the Poverty Line, they have to make kaccha latrines on the bank of the river and their excreta flow directly into the river. Due to this, the river water quality has deteriorated to an alarming condition now.

The flow length of the river is 53 kms in Indian territory and basin area is 570 sq.kms. The annual flow of this river is 36,032 m3. Agartala Municipal Council and Public Health Engineering Department uses the water of this river daily for community use. The intake wells are situated near Jogendranagar and Gandhighat.

However, it is to be mentioned here that earlier during the year 2013 the state govt. had send Rs. 6 crore budget for the pollution free project work of the Battala Haora River. But till today no further steps has been taken by the state govt resulting the people of the capital city Agartala to use the polluted water of the river Haora. Beside the inhabitants of the river bank are also facing several hurdles, especially during the rainy season. During the rainy season the flooded water of the river Haora sometime taking its giant shape wash away the villages at the river bank. Therefore it has become a great need for the poor people by the river bank in regard of their re-settlement.

Beside the Kaccha latrins of the villagers by the river bank has brought a major trouble for the river Haora now resulting the people of the capital city to use the water of river Haora as their only source of drinking water. Though of course the water of the river Haora gets purified but the process of the water purification at present must be back dated as compared to the amount of the pollution that are resting at the river water.

However, this might be an issue that can draw the attention of the concerned administration to take the necessary steps in regard of bringing the highly increasing pollution under control. 

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