The residents of Upper Bhiuli in Mandi town are presently reeling under the scourge of the worst ever scourge of dust pollution caused by the execution of about Rs 90 crore Uhl Valley drinking water supply scheme, one of the longest gravity scheme in the State.
In a representation to the Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh and IPH Minister Vidya Stokes, the Welfare Committee of the colony has alleged that the executing company has failed to do the regular sprinkling of water in the road as a result of which the residents in and around the colony are victims the problems of the lungs. Old persons and children are suffering the most. The house and the green cover around the colony are wearing a thick layer of dust.
The Welfare Committee has also urged the chairman of the NGT, Swatantra Kumar, to intervene in the matter and provide immediate relief to the residents. It may also be pointed out that the worst suffers are the road side bungalows of the Divisional Commissioner, Sessions Judges and complex of the judges and other VIPs. Mandi town had been reeling under water crisis for the last five decades. The present scheme has been got sanctioned by the frantic efforts of Panchyati Raj and Rural Development Minister, Anil Sharma, and with the help of chief minister, Virbhadra Singh.
The water has been drawn from the ice-cold clean water of Uhl, a tributary of Beas. Uhl abounds in trout. Anglers from home and abroad enjoy angling in this river. The Uhl Valley far from the madding crowd is, in fact, a dreamland for the tourists, particularly foreigners, who visit this valley in large number every year.
