The federation is also learnt to be advising its member units to create fishponds near their ETPs so that survival of fish and standard level of toxicity can be monitored on continuous basis. The measure has been taken following allegations that the dyeing units were responsible for the death of fish at Harike Pattan, members said.
A team from Thapar Institute, meanwhile, visited 11 units on Monday and nine units on Tuesday without any prior intimation to either.
The team collected samples of treated effluent from the units situated in various phases of Focal Point, Industrial Area, Bahadurke Road, Tajpur Road and Chandigarh Road. The names of the units, out of the 141 members of the Federation, were randomly drawn through computer programming.
The idea behind such an action is to have independent and impartial assessment of the working efficiency of the ETPs. The Federation will share the test report with the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), said V K Goyal, CEO, Vardhman Spinning Mills.
Goyal informed that the Federation’s own testing laboratory will be functional by August 15. The federation officials have categorically said that they will not stand by the units who do not treat the effluents according to the norms.
Members of the Federation said that disconnecting power supply should be the last resort for it leads to loss of production, employment and uncertainty in the industry. They said power should be disconnected only if effluents were discharged in a water body.