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Ludhiana: Dung flowing into Buddha Nullah a concern, says RS member
The meeting, which lasted nearly two hours, focused on the progress of the Buddha Nullah cleaning drive. Seechewal said that while some improvement had been made, several key issues were still unresolved
The discharge of dung into the Buddha Nullah continues to pose a serious challenge despite the ongoing efforts to clean the polluted stream. This came to light during a review meeting held under the leadership of Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal here on Monday.
The meeting, which lasted nearly two hours, focused on the progress of the Buddha Nullah cleaning drive. Seechewal said that while some improvement had been made, several key issues were still unresolved. He stressed that the ultimate aim was to ensure that clean water reaches Gurdwara Gau Ghat.
A major concern discussed in the meeting was the large quantity of dung generated daily by dairy complexes. As per official figures, around 200 tonnes of dung is produced every day at Tajpur Dairy Complex and nearly 400 tonnes at Haibowal Dairy Complex. However, lifting arrangements remain inadequate.
Officials informed that about 220 tonnes of dung from Haibowal is being sent to a compressed biogas (CBG) plant, while a private contractor is lifting only 36 tonnes. The Municipal Corporation (MC) is lifting around 170 tonnes from Tajpur. Despite these arrangements, nearly 176 tonnes of dung is reportedly finding its way into the Buddha Nullah daily.
Seechewal directed officials to hold meetings with dairy owners and contractors to plug the gaps and ensure that no untreated waste enters the river. He said strict monitoring was required to make the cleanliness drive effective.
The issue of polluted water from the Jamalpur drain flowing into the Buddha Nullah was also discussed. Officials were asked to strengthen arrangements to prevent untreated discharge.
Mayor Inderjit Kaur, MC commissioner Neeru Katyal Gupta, additional commissioner Paramdeep Singh Khehra and other senior officials attended the meeting. The action taken reports of previous meetings were also reviewed.
Power theft flagged
Raising another concern, Seechewal said that despite disconnection of power connections of illegal dairies, electricity theft was continuing. He alleged that some dairy owners were using power without authorisation. He also expressed displeasure over the functioning of the Punjab Pollution Control Board, stating that the board had failed to present reports related to polluting industries.
Governor to review progress on Feb 21
Gulab Chand Kataria is scheduled to visit Ludhiana on February 21 to hold a review meeting on the progress of the Buddha Nullah cleaning project. Officials said preparations were underway for the visit.
