Environmental Crisis Unfolds at Jaswantpura Village: Pond Water Declared Unsafe

A serious environmental and public health crisis has emerged over the Dharma pond at Jaswantpura in Gram Panchayat Baira on the National Highway in Bhilwara district of Rajasthan. Baneda Sub-Divisional Officer Babu Lal has imposed prohibitory orders in the entire area as a precautionary measure after the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) investigation report declared the pond water unsafe for human and animal consumption. Instructions have been issued to people to strictly follow the prohibitory orders by pasting copies of the order outside tea stalls, chaupals and grocery shops and by making announcements from mikes in the village. Jaswantpura village has a settlement of more than 300 houses. A large number of fish, aquatic creatures, birds and animals started dying in the Dharma pond of Jaswantpura village in the past few days. Concern was raised among the villagers after the death of thousands of fish. Dead fish were seen floating on the surface of the pond, followed by a letter from the local health department.