Clout of dairy owners in the dairy industry prevent any action by authorities
Jabalpur is to become one of the many smart cities of India. However, the dairies which are being run within the city stand like a big blot in the way of the cities dream of becoming a smart city. Vijay Nagar is one of the poshest locations in Jabalpur and has been the most planned development project undertaken by the Jabalpur Development authority. The dairies in the middle of Vijay Nagar bring into question the lethargy of the authorities who are either benevolent on the dairies or plain terrified to do any action due to the clout of the dairy owners.
More than two decades ago, most of the dairies of the city were shifted to the outskirts of the city which included Panagar and Barela. However, today the city has grown and the municipal limits of the city are touching Barela and Panagar. There have been consistent demands that these dairies must be shifted further away from the city.
One of the worst causes of river water pollution
The dairy industry is one of the worst pollutants of rivers. Before the dairies were shifted to Panagar, the Pariyat river was one of the cleanest rivers and often residents of the city went for outings on the banks of the river. The Pariyat tank is one of the sources of drinking water for the city. Today, the Pariyat river is one of the most polluted rivers in Jabalpur and let alone drinking, it is not suitable even for bathing.
It is the same story in Barela, a small village on the banks of river Ghor. The river Ghor was once famous for its rohu and tilapiya fishes. But after the dairies were shifted to Barela, the Ghor river has become one of the most polluted rivers in the city.
Both Parijat and Ghor rivers drain into the Narmada river and pollute its water also. The stretch of the Narmada river flowing within the city is one of the most polluted strengths in the long journey of the river through two states.
Laws for Dairy Industry are seldom enforced
Stringent laws are in place for the dairy industry but they are seldom enforced. All dairies must have gobar gas plants and no effluents must be discharged into the river without effluent treatment. However, the truth is completely different. The cartel of dairy owners is so strong that they revise the rates of milk on their own without any interference from the government authorities.
Baring a few big dairies, the majority of dairies in the dairy industry don’t have any pasteurization units and they play havoc with the health of the residents of the city.
Lessons to be learnt from the west
The best way to stop this is to stop buying milk from these dairies. We should take lessons from the west. The west was one of the biggest importers of carpets from India. However, when it was discovered that child labour was used to manufacture these carpets, they immediately put a halt to the imports.
The industry had to make amends and even give a guarantee that no child labour was employed to manufacture the carpets. The residents of the city must do something similar ad refrain from buying milk from dairies within the city or dairies which does not have proper effluent treatment facilities. The dairy industry needs to change for good.
