The Crisis of Increasingly Toxic Water Supply

January 8, 2026

Recently, in Indore, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, which is considered the cleanest and most beautiful city in the country, the supply of contaminated water caused havoc. 21 people have so far fallen victim to the epidemic caused by contaminated water.
Many are undergoing treatment in hospitals.

A similar threat of toxic elements mixing with water looms large in Punjab. If this crisis is not prevented, the situation could worsen here, just as the death toll rose dramatically in Indore. In Punjab, there is a crisis of both insufficient water supply and the danger of toxic elements mixing with the water. The reason for this is illegal colonies and haphazard industrial development. The water of the Sutlej and Beas rivers is becoming polluted.

The waste from illegal colonies and industrial waste, due to improper disposal, is mixing with the water and making it toxic. On one hand, the Kali Bein river has been cleaned through the commendable efforts of Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, but on the other hand, the uncontrolled development of Ludhiana has turned the Budhha Nullah into a polluted drain. Chemical effluents from factories are freely flowing into the Sutlej and Beas rivers. These toxic elements can bring a host of diseases to the people of Punjab. Sant Seechewal and other environmental activists have come forward to clean the Budhha Nullah, but a comprehensive campaign is needed. First and foremost, the haphazard development of illegal settlements and industries must be controlled, but even more importantly, proper waste disposal is essential.