The power plant was installed in 1979, and about a decade later, the problem of water and air pollution started surfacing.

The problem got so acute that some villagers of Ror community also migrated to Karnal. According to an old villager, the plant used to crush coal for power, which led to the pollution.

Ram Kishan, aged 70, has been suffering from both skin disease and asthma for the last five years. “We are suffering from these diseases due to the ash produced by the power plant,” he points out. Rakesh Rani, 30, underwent a medical examination about a week ago, which confirmed that she is a TB patient. Babu Ram is suffering from acute asthma, but he has no money for medicine.

Vinod, who is only eight years old, says that he is among the 50-odd children of his school who are facing skin disease. Dhanpati and Laxmi are among 100-odd young housewives of the area suffering from gastro problems, besides showing signs of asthma.

Fed up with lackadaisical attitude of Haryana government and the district administration to the problem, the villagers have formed a Gaon Sudhar Samiti to fight a legal battle in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Says Sube Singh, a member of the Samiti, “Our life become miserable, but the politicians are not bothered. They just come to seek votes and give us false assurances.”