Congress General Secretary Kumari Selja on Monday expressed concern over the rising pollution in the Ghaggar river in Haryana, accusing the state’s BJP government of showing indifference towards the problem.
The former Union minister and current MP from Sirsa alleged that due to government negligence, the Ghaggar is turning into a “river of death.”
"The water in the villages along its banks is getting polluted; in 13 villages, the water is no longer potable. Waste from 46 factories is being discharged into this river, yet the government remains inactive," she stated in a statement.
Selja said that southwestern Haryana has become recognised as a cancer belt due to the increasing pollution of the Ghaggar river.
"This is not just an environmental disaster but a human tragedy, for which the negligent BJP government of Haryana is responsible. The Ghaggar river originates from the Shivalik hills of Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh; flows through Punjab, enters Haryana, then through Rajasthan, and finally ends in Pakistan. Its total length is 320 km. The river is most polluted in Punjab and Haryana, where excessive use of pesticides in crops flows into the river with water," she claimed.
Moreover, a large number of factories are located along the Ghaggar river in Punjab and Haryana, "dumping wastewater including toxic substances into it", she further said.
“Sewage from towns without sewage treatment plants is also discharged directly into the river. It is not that the government is unaware of this issue, as affected people raise their voices at every forum," she said.
She further stated that she has raised this matter multiple times in the Lok Sabha, "but the BJP government, which has been in power for 11 years, has not taken any concrete steps".
"There have been many announcements and advertisements, but neither has the river been cleaned nor have strict actions been taken against the polluting factories," she said.
Diseases such as cancer, skin ailments and illnesses in children are rapidly increasing in districts like Sirsa and Fatehabad in Haryana and Hanumangarh in Rajasthan.
"More than 46 factories are directly discharging poisonous water into the river, while the Haryana Pollution Control Board remains a silent spectator. In 2025 alone, 1,678 new cancer cases were recorded in Haryana. The canals flowing from the Ghaggar river are in a similar state, with Sirsa district being the most affected," she further said.
She also asked the state government to announce a special package for the urgent cleaning of the Ghaggar river and take legal action immediate against factories causing pollution, set up cancer hospitals, drinking water facilities and health camps in affected areas, and have the Parliamentary Environment Committee prepare a special report on this issue.
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