PCB claims ‘zero’ discharge from factories SAMBA: Eight buffaloes were killed while four others fell ill after they consumed poisonous water from a nallah coming from SIDCO Industrial complex Samba to Basantar river this afternoon. The members of the Gujjar community whose cattle were grazing near river Basantar came to know about the matter and rushed there. They found six animals dead and about half a dozen others writhing in pain on the ground. They lodged their strong protest and alleged that their cattle died after they drank polluted poisonous water coming from about twenty factories located in SIDCO complex Samba. The police party led by DySP Manish Anand and SHO Samba reached the spot. Additional DC Samba R S Jamwal, Tehsildar Samba Navdeep also reached there. The ADC summoned the State Pollution Control Board officials Samba and Vetrinary team on the spot. They started treatment of the ailing animals. The managements of the nearby industries were also summoned and told about the untreated discharge of the affluent from the factories. The officials who visited the spot told that highly polluted black coloured water was seen coming out of several units located in the premises. They said there are no pipes and the water flows into open drains. After some distance, it joins a nallah and from there this nallah flows into river Basantar. There is no provision to treat this water before flowing into the river. DC Samba Mubark Singh told the Excelsior that District Administration has taken serious note of the matter. A Board of Veterinary doctors was constituted to conduct postmortem of the animals’ bodies. He said the water samples were also lifted and sent to different Labs in the State and outside. The State Pollution Control Board officials have also been pulled up for their failure to monitor functioning of high pollution emitting units at SIDCO complex. He told that notices are being served to these unit holders. Regional Director, Pollution Control Board Jammu Showkat Choudhary when contacted said that all the units of pesticides and chemicals at SIDCO complex have their own Affluent Treatment Plants. He said regular inspection is conducted by the SPCB officials and the district office of SPCB is also located within the same complex and one district level officer Bader Hussain is deployed there. The RD further claimed that there is zero percent dicharge of affluents from SIDCO complex Samba and only a few units are actually functional at present. According to District Administration Samba nearly 16 units of pesticides and Chemicals are presently functional. The Police has registered a case in this connection and started investigation. It has also recommended compensation in favour of the families whose animals died. They included Maula Baksh, Bagh Hussain and Sharief Din.