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Ludhiana: At Buddha Nullah review meet, sewage board seeks ₹19.6-crore dues from MC
Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal chairs meeting of the Buddha Nullah Monitoring Committee , says officials concerned should be held accountable if they fail to act against violators
Officials of the Punjab water supply and sewerage board (PWSSB) flagged the pending ₹19.60 crore for the maintenance of effluent treatment plant (ETP) at the dairy complex during a review meeting of the Buddha Nullah Monitoring Committee at the MC Zone D office on Friday. The committee members were informed that the delay in payment by the municipal corporation had adversely affected the operation and maintenance of the plant as the PWSSB is the executing agency responsible for clearing the bills.
During the meeting, discussions were held regarding proper functioning of sewage treatment plants and lifting of cow dung from dairy complexes, etc. Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal, who chaired the meeting, stated that the officials concerned of various departments working under the project should also be held accountable, if they fail to act against the violators.
According to documents presented during the meeting, several monthly bills raised by the sewerage board for the operation of sewage treatment and allied infrastructure have remained unpaid for months. These include the July bill amounting to ₹2.35 crore, August and September bills worth ₹4.50 crore, October and November bills totalling ₹4.64 crore, December bills for ₹2.36 crore and January bill amounting to over ₹22 lakh.
After adding taxes and testing charges, the total outstanding amount has reached ₹19,60,71,764, officials told the committee. Members pointed out that because of the non-payment, the department responsible for operating the plant is facing financial constraints, which has affected the efficiency of the ETP meant to treat dairy waste before its discharge.
Meanwhile, MC officials said that the ₹19.60-cr payment would be cleared once the Finance and Contracts Committee clears the bill. MC joint commissioner Vineet Kumar refused to comment on the matter.
During the meeting, it was also revealed that the ETP installed at the dairy complex had stopped functioning effectively earlier this week after its budget allocation was exhausted. Members expressed concern that if the financial issue is not resolved soon, the untreated effluent from dairies may again start flowing into the polluted stream, defeating the purpose of the multi-crore Buddha Nullah rejuvenation project.
Another concern raised during the meeting was the poor attendance of some committee members in previous meetings. Members emphasised that effective coordination between civic agencies is essential for the success of the Buddha Nullah cleaning mission. They urged the MC to release the pending payment to the sewerage board at the earliest so that the ETP and other pollution control systems can function without disruption.
The PSPCL officials informed that FIRs have already been lodged against over 30 dairy owners in the past and fines of over ₹18 lakh have been imposed for power theft.
MP Seechewal directed the officials to further intensify the drive against the dairy owners dumping cow dung or dairy waste in the Buddha Nullah.
Further MP Seechewal also directed the PPCB and civic body officials to keep strict vigil and take stern action against those dumping untreated industrial waste in the Buddha Nullah.
Apart from MC joint commissioner Vineet Kumar, others present during the meeting included ADC (D) Narinder Dhaliwal, MC joint commissioner Amanpreet Singh, ACP Inderjit Singh, officials from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), PWSSB, PSPCL, revenue and irrigation department.
