E-Paper
Ludhiana: NGT directs regular cleaning, monitoring of Sidhwan Canal
The Tribunal has asked the authorities to prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) within three months to ensure strict compliance with these directions
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the officials concerned to ensure that no garbage is dumped on the banks or in the waters of Sidhwan Canal and to carry out regular cleaning of its bed and banks. The order came as the Tribunal disposed of a petition filed over pollution and solid waste in the canal.
The Tribunal has asked the authorities to prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) within three months to ensure strict compliance with these directions. It also stressed that cleaning should not be a one-time exercise but a continuous process.
In its order, the NGT observed that during the hearing of the petition, the canal was cleaned and encroachments were removed, but photographs submitted by the petitioners showed that garbage dumping had resumed in some stretches. The court said regular monitoring and swift action were needed to maintain the canal.
Earlier, the Municipal Corporation had informed the Tribunal that it had completed the removal of solid waste from the canal and taken measures to prevent further dumping. These included installing chain fencing along the banks, organising awareness drives to stop people from throwing puja offerings into the water, and issuing challans to repeat offenders.
The MC also claimed to have removed all secondary dump sites, set up compactors at transfer stations, and started constructing a compactor site near the canal after necessary approvals from the Punjab State Mandi Board. The civic body also announced plans to develop a green belt along the canal after removing encroachments.
Despite these steps, the NGT has ordered regular inspections to ensure that the work is maintained and the canal remains free from waste.
The petition in this matter was filed by social activists Kuldeep Khaira, Dr Amandeep Bains, Kapil Arora and Vikas Arora. The respondents included the state government, deputy commissioner, Punjab Pollution Control Board, irrigation department, Municipal Corporation and Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA).
