Many families had to choose the option of expensive bottled water or tanker water to prevent health issues.
NGT Slams Punjab Govt Over Delay in Supplying Safe Drinking Water to Zirakpur–Banur–Rajpura
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has reprimanded the Punjab Government for its failure to ensure clean drinking water for residents in the Zirakpur–Banur–Rajpura belt. This is a directive that remains unfulfilled for more than two years after the tribunal’s original order.
A city-based advocate and social worker filed a petition in 2022. She sought directions for a comprehensive plan for the persistent water contamination issue in the region. The petitioner said that the contaminated municipal supply has caused multiple diseases: residents have suffered from cholera, jaundice, typhoid, diarrhoea, skin diseases and other health issues. Many families had to choose the option of expensive bottled water or tanker water to prevent health issues.
In July 2023, the NGT directed the state to replace all contaminated water-supply pipelines and restore potable water within six months. But during the latest hearing, the tribunal found that “no meaningful remediation” had been carried out, pipelines remain unreplaced, contamination persists, and the residents continue to be at risk.
The bench was headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava, and expert member Dr A. Senthil Vel expressed “deep anguish” at what it called an “ongoing blame game” between the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board and the municipal council of Rajpura. It highlighted that despite more than 28 months having passed since the 2023 order, there was no visible improvement.
The NGT has given an order mentioning that until the pipelines are replaced, the municipal councils of Rajpura, Banur, and Zirakpur must supply potable water daily via tankers to all affected areas. It has been done to curb immediate health risk. It also directed the Chief Secretary, Punjab, to personally intervene, identify who was responsible for the delay caused, and take strict action. The Chief Secretary has been asked to file a personal affidavit and an action-taken report within eight weeks.
The next hearing will be held on February 2, 2026. Senior officials from both the municipal councils and the Water Supply Board are asked to appear virtually to report on compliance.
This development highlights a critical reality: a basic civic right and a matter of huge public health concern, access to safe drinking water, still remains elusive for many people in Punjab. The NGT’s strict order serves as a wake-up call for the state government and concerned agencies to take real, timely action before more lives are put in trouble.
Source: Hindustan Times, Times of India
