Senior BJP leader and Punjab state media head of the BJP Vineet Joshi has called for the registration of an FIR against the officials of the departments of irrigation, wildlife preservation, forest, and mining of the Punjab govt, holding them accountable for the death of over 650 animals at the dried-up Perch Dam in Perch village of Mohali district.
Joshi, who visited the parched dam for the second consecutive day on Thursday, was accompanied by villagers as well as media persons.Accompanied by villagers from Baddi Perch, Chotti Perch, Nadda, and Seonk, Joshi guided the media on a tour of the area, revealing numerous skeletons believed to be those of deer, sambar deer, and other wildlife, thus, highlighting the severity of the situation.
Addressing the media in the dried-up dam, Joshi said Perch Dam was constructed in 1993 with World Bank funds and it not only fulfilled the irrigation needs of Baddi Perch, Chotti Perch Nadda and Seonk villages, but also served as a vital water source for the local wildlife.
Joshi accused the department of irrigation of negligence stating that the dam’s current dried and silt-filled state was not due to deficient monsoon or rainfall, but a result of years of neglect. “The silt accumulation, now as deep as 15 meters or 50 feet with cracks 4-5 feet deep, has turned the reservoir into a death trap for animals,” Joshi stated.
Joshi urged immediate action and accountability, calling for the registration of an FIR against the responsible officials.
