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Ludhiana: NGT stays MC works along Buddha Nullah
The NGT has also directed the district magistrate to ensure that no further unauthorised construction takes place along the Buddha Nullah until the matter is resolved
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a stay on illegal construction works being carried out along the Buddha Nullah in Ludhiana and has constituted a four-member committee to investigate alleged encroachments and environmental violations, the Public Action Committee (PAC) said on Friday.
The PAC, an NGO, had filed a petition raising concerns over the narrowing of the drain bed due to the construction of roads and RCC retaining walls by the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (MC), allegedly without mandatory approvals.
Appearing virtually before the Tribunal, PAC members Kapil Arora and Kuldeep Singh Khaira said they had already filed a complaint to the principal secretary of the water resources department, MC, PPCB and other concerned bodies on May 31. They warned that the ongoing narrowing of the natural drain could lead to serious flooding in surrounding colonies and overflow of toxic effluents, putting public health at risk.
“The bed width of Buddha Nullah has been reduced from 58 feet to as little as 35 feet at various locations, a decrease of 40%, which is unacceptable,” Arora said.
PAC members Jaskirat Singh, Amandeep Singh Bains and Gurpreet Singh also pointed out that the water resources department failed to prevent the construction.
Taking cognisance of the matter, the NGT bench has directed formation of a committee comprising officials from the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF&CC), the drainage division of the water resources department, PPCB and the deputy commissioner. The team has been asked to conduct a site visit, verify the allegations, assess the impact on water flow and ecology and submit a report within eight weeks.
The NGT has also directed the district magistrate to ensure that no further unauthorised construction takes place along the Buddha Nullah until the matter is resolved. The next date of hearing has been set for October 14, the NGO stated.
This NGT action follows concerns raised earlier by the department of water resources regarding the narrowing of Buddha Nullah due to “unapproved” road and bridge construction by the MC. In a letter issued to the MC commissioner, the department warned that reducing the drain’s bed width without a no objection certificate (NOC) or approval of general arrangement drawings (GAD) could result in severe urban flooding.
“The works at multiple points have compromised the drain’s flow capacity,” said Rajat Grover, executive engineer, Ludhiana drainage division. “Structures like roads and bridges are being built on the floodplain, in clear violation of safety norms.”
The department had surveyed areas such as Shivpuri, Madhopuri and New Kundan Puri and flagged unauthorised construction near Burji numbers 65,550, 66,350, 75,900, and 81,800, warning that the situation could become critical with the onset of monsoon.
Affidavit sought on waste mgmt
In another case, the NGT has directed the deputy general manager (DGM) of the Punjab Mandi Board to file an affidavit within two weeks, disclosing the daily waste generated at the wholesale vegetable market, its method of treatment and the exact quantity of garbage currently lying at the site.
The direction came during a hearing on a plea filed by Public Action Committee (PAC) members Kapil Arora and Mohit Jain, who had first approached the Tribunal in 2023 highlighting the poor waste management and frequent garbage burning at the market premises.
In an earlier hearing, the Tribunal had formed a joint committee of the district magistrate, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) and the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation to take necessary remedial steps. The PPCB had submitted a report instructing the Mandi Board to process waste in line with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and ban single-use plastics at the market.
The NGO said the volume of untreated legacy waste has grown and that the Mandi Board, instead of managing the waste on site, had a pact with the MC to shift the garbage to the Tajpur Road dump site, “violating waste management rules”.
During the hearing on July 10, the DGM of the Mandi Board admitted in court that over 10,182.60 cubic metres of legacy waste, roughly 8,000 metric tonnes or 2,050 tractor-trolleys of garbage, is lying in the market area.
The petitioners presented a live video showing the actual condition of the garbage strewn across the market. The NGT bench noted that the DGM was unable to answer basic queries about the current waste volume and treatment so it directed the DGM to file a detailed personal affidavit in two weeks. The next hearing has been scheduled for August 21.
