BIRGUNJ, March 31: The Sirsiya River which was once a boon for the Birgunj people has now turned into a blight in the wake of rising pollution.

The river was a source of water for years till recent times, but the factories in the industrial corridor in the Parsa-Bara area have emptied their drain pipes in the river, thereby polluting the water source. The stench emanating from the river is quite intolerable, the locals shared.

For some years, the river stopped running but reeked with sludge and slime. "We used to take bath in the Sirsiya River, wash clothes and dishes on its bank, but..." laments Krishna Kumar Kanu from Chhapkaiya of Birgunj, "…it has been difficult to stay and stroll on the river side for some years. We must cover our noses to avoid the horrible smell."  

Worryingly, no legal action except censuring has been taken against the industries that are largely responsible for polluting the river. People from two dozen villages and Birgunj city are on the verge of displacement owing to the cluttered water source.

Subash Mahato from Birgunj Metropolis-9 also turned remorseful. "We used to take baths and swim in the Sirsiya River during our childhood. It has now turned into a horrible sludge, spreading stench in the vicinity," he added.

Moreover, the Sirsiya River has lost its religious and cultural values as well. As the pristine river began spreading a putrid smell with pollution, it is no longer a holy place to celebrate the Chhath festival, either. Mahato further complained that even the people's representatives have not shown interest in addressing this severe environmental problem.

The people have stopped vegetable farming, while aquatic animals and plants also disappeared.

The river having its origin at Ramban of west Simara, Bara goes to Raxaul, India via Birgunj, Parsa. The garbage and scraps produced from various industries like hide, distillery, textile, ghee, and soap are thrown into the river.

The villages along the corridor and vicinity such as Simara, Bakuliya, Lohusanda, Ramuli, Sagardina, Rampur Tokani, Chhatapipara, Nitanpur, Gamhargawa, Behara, Baluwa, Sirsiya, Tajpur, Bhaluwi, Ramgadhwa, Parwanipur, Ramban, Ramgadhwa, Bindabasini, Ranighat, Ashokbatika, Chapkaiya are most affected by the heavily polluted river.

It is worth reminding that as the locals picketed the district administration office 13 years back over the growing degradation of the Sirsiya River, the office had formed a river monitoring committee. The committee had prepared a report by monitoring the river pollution. It had blamed industries on the river side for the mess.

When Assistant Chief District Officer Shiva Prasad Lamsal was approached for a response on the matter, he said the district administration office would direct those behind pollution to stop it.

People from over a dozen villages are waiting for environmental justice. It is time to see how the concerned authorities would respond to this crisis.

 
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