Seechewal: 75-tonne cow dung flowing into Buddha Nullah daily

Inspecting facilities across the city, including STPs, effluent treatment plants, and compressed biogas projects, Seechewal said despite crores of rupees spent on treatment infrastructure, plants are struggling to meet prescribed standards due to unchecked dairy waste clogging the system

Expressing displeasure over the functioning of civic and pollution control bodies, Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal on Saturday slammed local authorities during a comprehensive inspection of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and dairy complexes, revealing that around 75 tonnes of cow dung continue to enter the Budha Dariya every day.

Despite crores spent on treatment infra, plants are struggling to meet prescribed standards due to unchecked dairy waste clogging the system, says Seechewal. (HT)

Inspecting facilities across the city, including STPs, effluent treatment plants, and compressed biogas projects, Seechewal said despite crores of rupees spent on treatment infrastructure, plants are struggling to meet prescribed standards due to unchecked dairy waste clogging the system.

During his visit to the 160 MLD treatment plant at Balloke, he highlighted that wastewater containing animal urine from dairy complexes is severely disrupting operations, with the resulting sludge cake consisting almost entirely of raw cow dung.

The situation at the Tajpur Dairy Complex drew concern, where a temporary treatment arrangement based on the Seechewal Model became choked, resulting in untreated wastewater flowing directly into the water body.

He noted that similar clogging occurred in three pits constructed under the model for Talwara and Barnahara villages, prompting him to direct the panchayati raj department to take strict action against dairies operating in those areas.

Seechewal alleged that officials across various departments for shifting responsibility instead of resolving the crisis.

Highlighting administrative inaction, he stated that while 263 FIRs have been registered against dairy operators for discharging waste into the Budha Dariya—including 117 at the Haibowal complex and 146 at Tajpur—not a single arrest has been made so far.

Addressing power and animal welfare violations, Seechewal instructed Powercom officials to crack down on dairy operators allegedly running units on illegal electricity connections after their regular supplies were cut off. He also directed animal husbandry department officials to monitor the administration of potentially harmful injections to dairy cattle and ensure proper animal welfare standards.