Buddha Nullah cleaning project based on faulty report, will lead to loss of public money: MLA Gurpreet Gogi - Hindustan Times
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Buddha Nullah cleaning project based on faulty report, will lead to loss of public money: MLA Gurpreet Gogi

By, Ludhiana
May 03, 2022 01:21 AM IST

MLA Gurpreet Gogi took up the matter during a meeting called by Member of Parliament (MP) Ravneet Singh Bittu to review projects under the Smart City Mission, at municipal corporation (MC)’s Zone D office in Sarabha Nagar on Monday. This was Bittu’s first meeting with the MLAs after the formation of the new government in the state

MLA Gurpreet Gogi said that the 650-crore Buddha Nullah rejuvenation project will prove to be a waste of public money as it based on a faulty report.

MP Ravneet Bittu conducting a review meeting with MC officials on Smart City Mission projects at the civic body’s Zone D office in Ludhiana on Monday. (Harvinder Singh/HT)
MP Ravneet Bittu conducting a review meeting with MC officials on Smart City Mission projects at the civic body’s Zone D office in Ludhiana on Monday. (Harvinder Singh/HT)

Gogi took up the matter during a meeting called by Member of Parliament (MP) Ravneet Singh Bittu to review projects under the Smart City Mission, at municipal corporation (MC)’s Zone D office in Sarabha Nagar on Monday. This was Bittu’s first meeting with the MLAs after the formation of the new government in the state.

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The MLA said the project is based on a report tabled by Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board in 2019, which states that 519 MLD (million litres a day) waste flows through the Nullah on a daily basis. Just a few months after the report was submitted, a report by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, had stated that 874 MLD waste flows through Buddha Nullah on a daily basis. Another report recently submitted by the irrigation department of Ludhiana also found that 801 MLD waste flows through the drain every day.

Stating that it is important to ascertain the quantity of waste flowing through the drain to upgrade the sewerage treatment plant (STP) accordingly, Gogi said, “It will be a complete waste of public money if the STPs are not upgraded as per the needs of the city. If the quantity of waste flowing through the drain is more than the capacity of the STPs, the Nullah will remain polluted.”

He further said, “The MC should either ascertain the quantity of waste flowing through the Nullah on its own or hire a third party to do so. The Buddha Nullah rejuvenation project should be put on hold until then.”

As per MC officials, the STPs in the city currently have the capacity to treat 735 MLD waste on a daily basis. The project to clean the Nullah had commenced last year with a deadline of December 2022.

MP Bittu and MC commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal said that the points highlighted by Gogi will be sent to the sewerage board officials.

Bittu, however, ruled out the possibility of halting the project. “We will hold another meeting on this issue next week but the project will not be stopped at this stage. If some changes are required, these can be made in the second phase of the project. Monthly meetings will be held to review the progress of the project,” said Bittu.

Seek police help to make carcass plant operational: MP

With villagers opposing the operations at the carcass plant, set up in Noorpur Bet area around 10 months ago at a cost of 8.58 crore, MP Bittu asked the MC to seek help from the police to start work at the plant.

The civic body had to postpone the inauguration ceremony of the plant last year after villagers in surrounding areas raised objections, stating that they will have to bear the brunt of the foul smell and pollution from the plant. Hanging fire since 2013, the project to establish the plant commenced under Smart City Mission in July 2019. While the skin will be sold, meat bone meal will be produced out of the bones and other body parts of dead animals. Bittu also asked MC commissioner Sabharwal to take action against forest department officials for damaging seating areas, cycle and jogging tracks at Sidhwan Canal water front in Sarabha Nagar area.

‘Multi-level parking, traffic issues ignored’

During the meeting, member of Punjab Road Safety Council, Rahul Verma said the MC has to redress the traffic issue, which is one of the main problems of the city. He stated that no multi-level parking has been established under Smart City Mission despite approving proposals to establish the same in Feroze Gandhi market and other areas. The project regarding junction improvements is also hanging fire.

Atam Nagar, Ludhiana North ignored, say MLAs

AAP’s Atam Nagar MLA Kulwant Sidhu and Ludhiana North MLA Madan Lal Bagga accused the MC of ignoring their constituencies under the Smart City Mission and focusing only on West constituency. They asked officials to include their respective constituencies under the mission. The officials, however, stated that the list projects has already been finalised by the Union government and no more projects can be added now. The officials stated that more areas of Ludhiana West were selected under the mission on the basis of voting done by residents when the project initiated in 2015. Officials stated that 75 projects worth 930 crore have been planned under Smart City Mission, out of which 29 projects worth 76 crore have been completed, while others are under execution or tendering stage.

Mayor Balkar Sandhu skipped the meeting citing personal reasons.

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