Ludhiana: Waste from 6 discharge points still polluting Buddha Nullah

Discharge from dairies, storm sewers and residential belts continues to pollute the waterbody, Civic body sets Dec 10 deadline to close these outlets

Despite repeated claims of progress under the ₹850-crore Buddha Nullah rejuvenation project, the Ludhiana municipal corporation is still struggling to close six major leakage points that continue to discharge untreated wastewater into the waterbody.

Temporary arrangements have been made at a few discharge points, but permanent plugging remains incomplete. (HT File Photo)

A recent survey has once again underlined that these outlets remain a significant hurdle in efforts to revive the city’s most polluted water channel.

Despite recent directives from the National Green Tribunal, several outlets continue to discharge waste into the Buddha Nullah.

According to officials, the survey conducted by the municipal corporation identified specific locations where domestic sewage, mixed discharge and illegal dairy waste are still flowing into Buddha Nullah. Temporary arrangements have been made at a few points, but permanent plugging remains incomplete, delaying the broader restoration targets.

Storm sewer near Amrit Dharam Kanda

At this location, the survey traced around 1.5 MLD of domestic discharge. Officials said nearly 95 % of the flow has already been diverted into the sludge sewer and a team is now working to locate and redirect the remaining 0.1 MLD that continues to leak into the drain.

Tajpur Dairy Complex

The Tajpur Dairy Complex remains one of the biggest violators, with nearly 3.02 MLD of untreated dairy waste entering the nullah. The municipal corporation had earlier disconnected 21 illegal dairy outlets, but many units allegedly reconnected their pipelines.

The civic body has written to the commissioner of police seeking FIRs against the violators and has also requested the Punjab Pollution Control Board to initiate punitive action.

Dhoka Mohalla t-point pully

Nearly 20 MLD of mixed discharge, including rainwater and domestic sewage, continues to flow from this outlet. The Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board has been directed to immediately divert the sewage component to prevent further contamination.

Gaushala Gurdwara, Madhopuri

The leakage point near Gaushala Gurdwara has been temporarily diverted into the sludge sewer.

Officials said a permanent solution requires the construction of a retaining wall. The Gaushala authorities and PEDA have also been instructed to install proper treatment systems to prevent recurring flow of untreated waste.

Peru Banda, near Ravi iron store

Around 3.6 MLD of domestic sewage is still entering the nullah from this point. Work to plug the outlet has been allotted and is expected to be completed by November 30, 2025, according to officials familiar with the progress.

Bajwa Nagar pully

This remains another major outlet, carrying nearly 10.5 MLD of untreated domestic sewage. The municipal corporation has fixed December 10, 2025, as the final deadline to tap and divert this discharge.

The Buddha Nullah rejuvenation project, launched in 2020 with an estimated cost of ₹850 crore, aims to intercept sewage, upgrade treatment capacity, relocate dairies, construct new STPs and improve sludge management. However, despite multiple deadlines, the waterbody continues to receive substantial untreated discharge, raising questions about the pace of implementation and coordination among different agencies.

Environmental activists warn that unless the leakage points are fully plugged and enforcement is strictly implemented, the revival of Buddha Nullah will remain incomplete. While the project was envisioned as a transformative effort to turn the polluted drain into a cleaner water channel, ground-level challenges, especially illegal waste discharge, persist.

Superintending engineer Ekjot Singh said, “The civic body is working on the pending points and all outlets would be shut before December 10.”