Ludhiana treatment plants: NGT asks Centre, state govt to release ₹36cr subsidy with 3 weeks

The directive was given during the hearing of a petition filed by the Punjab Dyers Association against the delay in releasing the subsidy

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF and CC) and the state government to release the pending subsidy of ₹36 crore to two common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) within three weeks.

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The directive was given on Tuesday during the hearing of a petition filed by the Punjab Dyers Association (PDA) against the delay in releasing the subsidy.

The secretary of the MoEF and CC and the secretary, department of science, technology and environment, Punjab, have also been directed to file an affidavit regarding the same within a week. The next hearing of the case has been scheduled for July 23.

PDA general secretary Bobby Jindal said, “Two CETPs are being established for the dyeing industry in the Tajpur Road complex and the Focal Point at a cost of ₹130 crore. The government had earlier assured a subsidy of ₹45 crore (₹22.5 crore for each CETP), out of which a sum of ₹15 crore has to be paid by the MoEF and CC, while ₹7.5 crore has to be borne by the state government. The rest of the amount has to be spent by the industry.

“Till now, the state government has released only ₹3 crore (₹1.5 crore for each CETP) and the MoEF and CC have paid ₹6 crore (₹3 crore for each project). The remaining subsidy amount (₹36 crore for both projects) has been pending for the past around two years, due to which we were forced to move the NGT. The industry has already spent 80% of the amount and the projects will compete in 3-4 months if the subsidy is released by the government. The deadline has been set in September.”

The CETPs are being established to stop dumping of untreated waste of dyeing industry into the Buddha Nullah through MC sewers.