CSE fellowship for kanchan

http://www.cseindia.org/node/343

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Kanchan Vasdev
Senior Staff Correspondent, The Tribune
Ludhiana, Punjab

Kanchan is a senior staff correspondent with The Tribune in its Ludhiana bureau. A post graduate in mass communication from Kurukshetra University, she has about nine years of experience in reporting. She has worked with the Indian Express and The Homepages previously. Kanchan has been regularly writing about pollution and water issues, especially pollution in river Sutlej.

Kanchan proposed to do stories on pollution in Sutlej – sewage as well as industrial – that is impacting agriculture and fishing. She also proposed to study the Sutlej Action Plan, under which only one sewage treatment plant has been constructed. She also planned to collect samples from the river to test them.

The jury suggested that Kanchan should focus on the journey of the river and report on its state and on related issues as it goes along the course. The jury suggested it be written as a travelogue.

Kanchan published two stories. First story was on the sewage treatment plant and its inability to treat industrial effluents, which lead to high levels of heavy metals in the treated water. This was also threatening the water supply to the towns of Bhatinda and Mansa. The industrial effluents were being dumped in the Buddha Nala which drained into the Sutlej. The other story was animal remains and waste being dumped in the river by the slaughter houses and its impact on the quality of water and health.

Published stories

* Toxic water for irrigation, The Tribune, Ludhiana, January 24, 2008
* Sutlej turns animal waste dump, The Tribune, Ludhiana, January 29, 2008