Rupnagar, August 23, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
In a first legal action of its kind, an FIR has been registered against unidentified industrial operators in Himachal Pradesh over alleged pollution of the Sutlej River, following a complaint by Rupnagar MLA Dinesh Chadha.
FIR No. 199 was registered at the Ropar City Police Station after a large quantity of industrial waste, garbage, plastic and other material was found accumulating at the Ropar Headworks. Police also conducted videography at the site and collected material as part of the investigation.
Chadha said there were no major industrial hubs in Punjab upstream of Ropar, while several industries operate along the Sirsa River in and around Baddi and other parts of Himachal Pradesh. He alleged that some industries exploit monsoon conditions to discharge industrial waste and chemicals into rivers and seasonal streams, which eventually flow into the Sutlej.
According to the MLA, a thermocol board bearing the initials “SSF” was recovered from the waste during the site inspection. He said preliminary verification indicated that SSF was a firm based in Baddi. The police have registered a case against unidentified factory owners in the Baddi-Nalagarh area and will investigate the source of the waste and identify those responsible.
The case has been registered under Sections 270, 271, 279 and 280 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Sections 24 and 43 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and Section 7 of the Environment (Protection) Act.
Chadha said notices alone would not be issued against those responsible for polluting Punjab’s water resources and that criminal action would also be pursued. He said the polluted water eventually reaches canals and is used for drinking purposes in Rupnagar and neighbouring states, including Haryana and Rajasthan.
He also called for accountability from the Himachal Pradesh Government, saying it must ensure that industries operating in the state do not discharge waste into rivers flowing towards Punjab.
Municipal Council president Inderpal Singh Raju Satyal, officials and police personnel were also present during the inspection. Chadha said strict action would be taken against those found responsible after the investigation.
He further called for reforms in the functioning of the National Green Tribunal, arguing that its orders should be effectively implemented rather than receiving attention only when they are issued.
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