People wash clothes at the Daaha river in Siwan. Picture by Rakesh K Singh

Siwan, Feb. 10: River Daaha, once a source of drinking water for the people of the district, has today turned into a filthy, black fluid with huge garbage and chemical deposits posing a health hazard for residents living in the vicinity.

Till 1990, the river water was being used for drinking and irrigation purposes. Today, not just the villagers but even the cattle and birds in the area stay away from the river. All fish in the river have died and the river area is being used as a dumping ground by the villagers.

Daaha,a 65km-long river, originates from Saasamusa in Gopalganj district and crosses Siwan district on its way to Tajpur in Manjhi block of Saran district where it ends.

Industrial waste released from a sugar mill in Gopalganj, a distillery factory at Mirganj and a cardboard factory in Saasamusa have polluted the river. For years, the factories kept releasing tonnes of sulphur into the river without any check.

The distillery factory, owned by business tycoon Vijay Mallya, was closed down in 2002, but the other two factories are still releasing their chemical waste into the river. Adding to the water pollution is the garbage dumped by the villagers into the river.

Vikas Bharti, a non-government organisation, had got the river water tested by Benaras Hindu University (BHU) way back in 1990 and the department concerned had declared the river polluted. Ashok Priyamvad, secretary of Vikas Bharti, told The Telegraph the Ganga pollution control department in BHU stated in its report that the water of Daaha river had become poisonous mainly due to the increase in the level of sulphur. After that report, the environment department enlisted the river as polluted.

Priyamvad said even though pollution in the river kept increasing, no steps were taken to bring it under control. He said the bank of the river has been encroached and is dotted by concrete structures.

“There has been absolutely no effort either to clean the water or free its banks from encroachment. The Nagar Parishad has done absolutely nothing,” he said.

Vijay Pandey, a resident, blamed the Nagar Parishad for the river pollution.

Meanwhile, another river, Ghoghari, is reported to have become “dangerously” polluted. This river travels from Gopalganj to Masarak in Saran district. Dozens of cattle in the region have died after drinking the river water.

The villagers said that because of the increase in the river pollution, not only have the fish died, mosquitoes have increased in enormous proportion.

The source of pollution has yet not been verified and the authorities have not initiated any steps to clean the river. “The administration and the state government must take notice of the pollution and should take steps to save the river,” said Ranjit Singh, a resident of Kapadi village.