After completing the demarcation process of Buddha nullah as per the records of the revenue department, the third party (contractor) has commenced upon marking the encroachments alongside the nullah.
The project is expected to complete within 20 days, following which the municipal corporation (MC) will initiate the proceedings to raze those encroachments.
The matter was discussed during the meeting of a committee constituted by local bodies minister Brahm Mohindra for shifting of dairy units situated on the banks of the nullah. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of mayor Balkar Sandhu on Wednesday evening and deputy commissioner (DC) Varinder Sharma, MC commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal among others also participated.
INCREASED WIDTH TO PREVENT FLOODING
In the second week of July, MC, revenue department and irrigation department had commenced the demarcation process, which is being taken up to increase the width of nullah that has been overflowing in the past years during the monsoon season.
During the meeting, the officials also deliberated upon the proposal to shift over 500 dairy units situated at Haibowal and on Tajpur road. As demanded by the dairy owners’ association, the civic body is working to allow change of land use (CLU) of the existing dairy complexes for commercial and industrial purposes.
The MC will also finalise the CLU fee and forward the proposal to the local bodies department for a final approval. The project to shift the dairy units has been hanging fire for a long time.
{{/usCountry}}The MC will also finalise the CLU fee and forward the proposal to the local bodies department for a final approval. The project to shift the dairy units has been hanging fire for a long time.
{{/usCountry}}Additionally, sites are being identified to shift these units to the areas falling outside the MC limits. Earlier last week, a special task force constituted for cleaning the nullah had also directed the officials to plan out a modern dairy complex, where these units could be shifted. It was suggested that such a complex should have the facilities to treat dairy waste and cow dung.
Mayor Balkar Sandhu said, “The dairy units have to be shifted as the nullah is getting polluted due to dumping of dairy waste into it. The rates of CLU are being finalised and we are also scouting for locations in the nearby villages where the dairy units can be shifted.”
FLOATING GARBAGE BARRIER BEING SET UP
Under the initiative to clean the nullah and stop solid waste from getting into Sutlej river, a floating garbage barrier is being installed near New Kundanpur area by the MC.
The initiative was taken by member of special task force Colonel (retd) Jasjit Singh Gill and the project is being taken up by Lets Clean Ludhiana Foundation, an NGO, and Munjal foundation.
The barrier has been made with the help of drums to restrict solid waste floating in the nullah at a point, from where it will be lifted out. With this, the nullah will not get choked and solid waste will not get into the Sutlej.
Colonel Gill said, “Barriers installed in Sidhwan canal were successful. A special machine is also being developed to lift the accumulated waste from the barriers, but till the time it is not ready, MC machinery will be used.”
MC commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal said more barriers will be set up if the present project is successful. A monitoring committee of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had also asked the MC to stop dumping of solid waste in the nullah that added to pollution in the nullah and the Sutlej.