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Ludhiana: Choked effluent treatment plant floods Tajpur Road dairy complex
According to dairy owners, the wastewater that should be diverted to the biogas plant is instead flowing directly into the ETP plant because the biogas unit has not been set up yet
More than 120 dairy owners at the Tajpur Road dairy complex are facing severe inconvenience as the lanes of Blocks B and C have been completely flooded for several days. The flooding has been caused by a choked effluent treatment plant (ETP), which has not been functioning properly since November 20, residents and dairy operators said.
According to dairy owners, the wastewater that should be diverted to the biogas plant is instead flowing directly into the ETP plant because the biogas unit has not been set up yet. As a result, the ETP has been receiving untreated “kala pani” mixed with dung and slurry, causing it to choke repeatedly. With no system in place to manage the load, the wastewater has overflowed into internal streets, leaving the entire area waterlogged.
Dairy operators said the stagnant water has made it difficult to move cattle, operate vehicles, or carry out daily work. They also fear a major health risk, as the dirty water has been lying in the lanes for days, giving rise to foul smell and attracting insects.
Satwinder Singh, president of the Tajpur Road Dairy Association, said the issue has been repeatedly raised with municipal corporation and sewerage department officials but no long-term solution has been provided.
“Water is standing everywhere. We keep calling MC officials and showing them the condition, but they only make verbal assurances. The lanes remain flooded, and the problem keeps getting worse,” he said.
Dairy owners said that the situation has gone out of control because the infrastructure planned for the dairy complex is still incomplete. While the ETP was designed to treat processed waste, it is currently being forced to handle untreated waste in bulk. Without the biogas plant—which should have filtered the slurry before it reached the ETP, the entire load is falling on the treatment unit.
Even governor Gulab Chand Kataria had also visited few months ago and directed the deputy commissioner and MC commissioner to make the ETP plant fully operational.
Dairy operators also raised concerns that the overflowing wastewater could eventually enter nearby roads and pockets, if not controlled immediately. Several dairy workers have slipped in the slushy lanes, and cattle are also facing difficulty while walking through knee-deep water.
Importantly, the animals are also submerged under the water as this is causing huge losses- the business loss and health problems to the animals.
The dairy association has urged the municipal corporation to immediately clear and repair the ETP plant and ensure that the biogas plant is set up without further delay. They also demanded regular monitoring of the waste management system to prevent such incidents in the future.
Executive engineer, sewerage department, Balraj Singh said, “MC is not lifting the cow dung due to which effluent plant got choked and teams are already doing their work and within a day, the plant will get operational.”
