Ludhiana: Ahead of Buddha Nullah inspection, dyeing units shut operations

Members of the committee, officials of the municipal corporation, PPCB and from other departments conducted a meeting along the stretch of Buddha Nullah near Bhamian Khurd and inspected an outlet linked to Buddha Nullah

A number of dyeing units in the city allegedly shut their operations on Thursday ahead of an inspection by a Vidhan Sabha committee, including assembly speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, of the discharge of effluents in Buddha Nullah, prompting the panel to seek a comprehensive report from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to identify the units that were closed for the day.

HT Image

Members of the committee, officials of the municipal corporation, PPCB and from other departments conducted a meeting along the stretch of Buddha Nullah near Bhamian Khurd and inspected an outlet linked to Buddha Nullah.

The committee had initially planned to undertake a 4-kilometre walk along the Buddha Nullah, which was aimed check the pollution caused by industrial discharge into the water.

However, due to the alleged closure of many industries, the impact on Buddha Nullah’s water was mitigated. The water in the Buddha Nullah was reportedly low as compared to the other days, as many industries around the Jamalpur Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) allegedly remained shut.

The committee has sought a comprehensive report from the PPCB to identify which industries were closed on Thursday.

“There was a plan to inspect the outlets that discharge effluents in the Buddha Nullah during the committee visit on Thursday. We have visited the site near Budhha Nullah where we found that the water level is very low as compared to usual days. I have directed the PPCB chief to submit the comprehensive report of industries shut ahead of inspection,” AAP East MLA Daljit Grewal Bhola, who is the chairman of the Vidhan Sabha committee said.

PPCB chief Pardeep Gupta said, “We were directed by the chairman of Vidhan Sabha committee to submit the report of industries which were closed on Thursday and we have also taken the samples of water at Buddha Nullah on the directions of the committee.”

According to an MC official requesting anonymity, the news of the committee’s arrival had reached the entire industry before their visit. The impact was visible, with the water level in Buddha Nullah being two feet lower than usual.

The committee members included assembly speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Rajya Sabha member Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, and MLAs Gurpreet Gogi, Madan Lal Bagga, Hardeep Mundian, along with various officials from different departments. The members also took water samples from Buddha Nullah during their visit.

During the meeting, dairy farmers, concerned about the strict measures taken by the municipal corporation regarding cow dung disposal in Buddha Nullah, met with the panel members to express their willingness to support the initiative. The dairy farmers assured the committee of their cooperation in managing cow dung until the completion of the two biogas plants.

PAC files complaint about release of coloured water on Kakka Road

After two days accumulation of coloured water from dyeing units on Kakka Road and its vicinity, the Public Action Committee (PAC) for the protection of Sutlej, Buddha Nullah, and Mattewara forest has filed a complaint with the PPCB chairman and the chief engineer of PPCB Ludhiana in this regard on Thursday.

In the complaint, PAC members allege that a significant volume of untreated effluent from dyeing industries has been disposed of in an open plot near MC’s Jamalpur STP on Kakka Road. They claim that the effluent has overflowed from the manholes of the effluent line connected to the common effluent treatment plant of Tajpur Road dyeing units.