The Indian Army has come under fire in Leh after a video of some soldiers dumping sewage sludge into a river in Skara village went viral on social media recently. The issue came to light when a few locals took videos of the incident which took place on Thursday and then wrote a letter to the Nambardar's office in the area.
The sewer sludge was being dumped into a stream which is a lifeline for agricultural activities and livestock in the village, a user named Stanzin Gawa tweeted.
"It is reported that sewer sludge is being disposed in Skara village stream by army which is like a lifeline for agriculture activities & livestocks in the village.
"This threatens the risk spreading disease making the health of people & livestocks depending on this stream vulnerable.
"Village children’s health is also at risk due to such acts as they play in the stream during summer. Request concern authorities take appropriate measures to prohibit dumping of waste and sewage sludge in the stream," Gawa wrote.
The villages have now written to the concerned authorities seeking action against the Indian Army for dumping their wasted in the stream.
"We the resident of Skara village request to the Administration/LAHDC Leh to take strict action against this irresponsible, careless and undisciplined act done by the Army. Yesterday, evening an Army tractor attached sewer/sludge suction machine like carried a full tank of sewerage/sludge waste and directed of this in to the main stream water/tokpo of the Skara village near the bridge at Zorawar fort.
"The same incident was happened many times and this irresponsible and careless act not only polluting the water but also creating health hazard for the people also," the letter read.
