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Giaspura tragedy aftermath: Ludhiana NGOs highlight rampant pollution with peaceful protest
Members of the Buddha Darya Action Front (BDAF) and Public Action Committee submitted a memorandum to Ludhiana Central legislator Pappi Prashar at his residence
Demanding a fair investigation into the Giaspura Gas tragedy which claimed the lives of 11 people and highlighting the administration’s alleged failure to curtail the flow of pollutants into the Buddha Nullah, members of the civil society group on Sunday organised a peaceful protest at GLADA ground.
Members of the Buddha Darya Action Front (BDAF) and Public Action Committee submitted a memorandum to Ludhiana Central legislator Pappi Prashar at his residence. The protesting members also reached out to the victims of the tragedy and visited the spot as a mark of solidarity.
The protestors carried placards and photographs showing the polluted state of the Buddha Nullah, which flows through the city and merges into the Sutlej River.
Notably, civil society groups had earlier organised marches along the waterbody to highlight the problems. In the second phase of the awareness campaign, memorandums will be submitted to public representatives every Sunday, said CM Lakhan Pal, a member of BDAF.
He added that a fair investigation should be conducted and strict action should be taken against those who are responsible for the tragedy along with remedial actions to rule out any possibility of such incidents in the future
After submitting the memorandum to MLAs in different constituencies falling within the city limits, he said, similar letters will be submitted to the deputy commissioner and the municipal commissioner, added that in the memorandum addressing Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the issues and delays regarding the Buddha Nullah Rejuvenation project have been highlighted.
He added that the portion of Buddha Nullah flowing through Ludhiana Central is also marred by encroachments by illegal vendors and meat shops.
Currently, three parallel probes are underway into the incident — a special investigation team of Punjab Police, a magisterial level probe by deputy commissioner, and an eight-member committee formed by National Green Tribunal are conducting the inquiry.
