幾年前，我曾撰文述及印度拉吉斯坦州的巴利鎮（Pali），此地以密集的紡織工業聞名，鄰近的Bandi河則因被工業廢水徹底毒化而聲名大噪。工廠廢水汙染之嚴重，連地下水井也無可倖免；農民掘井灌溉，卻眼睜睜看著自己的農地被汙染。當時的我並無意討論當地的汙染問題，而是反映這些農民是多麼氣憤難平，而他們的抗爭最終換來國內第一座公共汙水處理廠。
然而，我不禁設問：我們真的有辦法在乾旱地區診治化學汙染問題嗎？答案當然是「難」。不過那些深受汙染問題困擾的農民仍然不懈怠地尋找解決的辦法。2006年，我在環境科學研究中心的同事前往巴利，沿著乾涸的河道下游一路旅行並蒐集河水樣本。他們回到我們在新德里的汙染檢測實驗室後，竟然從樣本中測出高度的毒性反應，甚至在位於鎮中心50公里外的下游井水也是一樣。
經調查後發現，那些運作中的公共汙水處理廠根本未符合規定標準，且廢水之含有高密度的重金屬。這些處理廠內事實上設有分流道，讓紡織工廠廢水可以不經過過濾快速排放至河道。
「無法接受！」，幾位預接受我們採訪的農民說道。
面對憤怒的群眾，政府同意花費382.4萬美元來改善汙水處理廠的設施。然而汙染的夢魘仍揮之不去。農民們甚至表示水質每下愈況。
2007年，我的同事在他們的邀請下再度回到巴利。這次蒐集更多樣本、檢驗又分析，結果證實，汙染物質仍在，分流道也在。
更糟糕的是，由於工業發展迅速，鎮上的排水系統卻依然老舊，多處帶有汙染物質的廢水無法流向汙水處理廠。
怒火中燒的農民於是將問題真相上呈法院。2008年4月，高等法院採納原告意見，要求政府以下作為：規定每間工廠須裝設水流量計，計算廢水排放量；下令廢水管線未與處理廠聯結的非法工廠關廠；滿足新興產業的需求，興建其他公共汙水處理廠，以及落實所有廢水皆經過處理。
汙染問題依然沒解決。而且背後問題之複雜，無法以眼前的汙染情況來說明或了解。
巴利農民的訴求很簡單，工廠不要再將廢水排放至河流之中。他們冀望業者們可以回收且重覆使用這些廢水。法院接受民眾的請願，命令任何處理前後的廢水皆不可流入Bandi河。
此次的裁定結果並非首例。我們另外發現至少三件法院的裁決，同樣要求工廠零排放或完全回收再利用這些廢水。
今天，赤裸裸呈現在我們眼前的事實是，公眾輿論的壓力勝過業者與政府尋求辦法的被動性，迫使他們對此事有所作為。另一方面，我們在開發符合需求與成本效益技術的過程中，迄今仍僅觸及邊際爾爾。
A few years ago I wrote about a textile town called Pali, in the state of Rajasthan, which had completely toxified its seasonal river Bandi with industrial discharge. Then, I said the real story was not about pollution but about the anger of farmers whose agricultural lands were destroyed because of effluents, whose well water had turned poisonous, and whose fight led the town to set up the country's first common effluent treatment plant.
The question I raised was - did we know how to clean chemical pollution in water scarce areas?
The answer still is, no. But the persistence of pollution-affected farmers is ensuring the search for ways out is still on.
In 2006, my colleagues at the Centre for Science and Environment went to Pali, travelled downstream of the dry river and collected water samples. They tested the samples at our pollution monitoring laboratory in Delhi and found high levels of toxins, even in the water of wells 50 kilometers downstream of the town.
Their analysis also showed the common effluent treatment plants were not meeting stipulated standards; there was a high concentration of heavy metals in the wastewater. My colleagues also found the treatment plants had bypass channels, allowing effluents to flow without check.
Unacceptable, said the farmers for whom we prepared the report.
So government agreed the effluent treatment plants would be upgraded, at a cost of US$3.824 million. But the pollution did not go away. Farmers reported the water was as bad as ever.
In 2007, at their request, my colleagues returned. More samples were collected, checked and analyzed. The pollutants remained, as did the bypass system.
Worse, since the town's drainage had not kept up with its industrial growth, much of the waste did not make it to the plants for treatment.
The furious farmers took the matter to court. In April 2008, the high court ruled in their favor. It asked government to set up water flow meters in every industry to measure discharge; to shut down illegal units not connected to the effluent plants; to set up another common effluent plant for the waste for the new industries and, in all, to ensure all waste was treated completely.
But pollution continues. The problem is more complex than current pollution textbooks can fathom or explain.
The farmers do not want industry to discharge effluents into the river. They want them to treat, reuse and recycle the effluents. The court has upheld this plea, directing "the treated water may not flow into the Bandi River."
This is not an isolated instance. We have found at least three more court decisions insisting on "zero discharge or complete recovery and reuse of water discharged from factories."
The fact is that, today, public pressure is driving industry and government to innovate, faster than they would like to find solutions. Also, we have not even scratched the surface in finding appropriate and cost-effective technology solutions that will fit our size.
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
