Ludhiana: Aim for zero liquid discharge or attach dyeing units with CETPs to avoid action: PPCB chairman tells owners

Dyeing unit owners have been dumping untreated waste in the MC sewer lines

With residents and elected representatives raising a hue and cry over dumping of untreated waste in the MC sewer lines by dyeing units, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has directed the owners of scattered units to shift to zero liquid discharge (ZLD) technique or attach their units with the common effluent treatment plants (CETP) being established in the city by December 31 to avoid action.

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As per the PPCB officials, there are around 20 scattered units, but the dyeing association members claim that there are around 50 such units in the city. While CETPs are being established for dyeing industry clusters at Tajpur road and Focal Point, the owners of scattered units have failed to get themselves attached to the project. The CETP for the Bahadurke road industry is already operational.

Dumping of waste by scattered units is adding to the woes of the residents as the MC sewer lines are choked when excessive waste is dumped by the owners. Also, it adds to pollution in the Buddha Nullah. The matter was also raised in the meetings of the special task force constituted for cleaning the nullah.

MLA (Ludhiana east) Sanjay Talwar said, “Residents of wards 7, 10, 12 and 15 are suffering a lot due to dumping of waste by the owners of dyeing and dairy units in the MC sewer lines. They dump excessive waste in the MC sewer lines, due to which the sewer lines get choked and sewer waste accumulates on the streets. The MC and PPCB officials are aware of the problem but still, no action has been taken against the units.”

In mid-August, councillor of ward number 57, Manju Aggarwal had also submitted a complaint with the MC officials regarding the dumping of untreated waste in the sewer lines by dyeing units, after she saw untreated waste at Shingar Cinema disposal point

PPCB chairman, Satwinder Marwaha said, “The 15mld CETP for Bahadurke dyeing industry has already made operational. The 40mld CETP for the Focal Point industry and 50mld plant for the Tajpur road industry would be made operational by December this year. The owners of scattered units have also been told to shift to ZLD technology, wherein no waste is dumped by the industry and treated waste is reused. If not, then they should get the units attached with CETPs, otherwise, strict action would be taken against them and their connections would be snapped.”