E-Paper
NGO writes to NGT seeking collection of samples from Ludhiana’s Buddha Nullah
Claims that in contrast to the PPCB claims, pollution in the water body had reduced due to the lockdown, seeks collection of samples for comparison in future
Disagreeing with the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) that claimed there was not much reduction in the pollution level of the Buddha Nullah due to the Covid-19 lockdown, Faridkot-based NGO, Naroa Punjab Manch, has written to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), demanding collection of samples.
Members of the NGO said many villagers living near the nullah had been sharing videos of reduced pollution in the stream.
Manch president Gurpreet Singh Chandbaja said the pollution had decreased as the dyeing industry, which dumped untreated water in the sewer lines, was closed during the lockdown. “As the recent PPCB reports are contradictory, we have demanded that the NGT monitoring committee may conduct sampling to detect heavy metals in the nullah,” Chandbaja added.
He said, “These reports can then be compared with the sample reports that will come out once the industry restarts its operations. The truth about the matter will then become clear.”
A municipal corporation (MC) official, requesting anonymity, said the MC was also collecting samples from the nullah as the pollution level had comparatively decreased, adding that the reports will be out in a week.
MC, PPCB AT LOGGERHEADS
The MC and the PPCB have been at loggerheads over the Buddha Nullah pollution with each blaming the other for its failure to curb its pollution.
Last year, the PPCB had also filed a criminal case against mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu, MC commissioner Kanwalpreet Kaur Brar and six others for the civic body’s alleged failure in operating the sewer treatment plants (STP) properly due to which the pollution level of the nullah was rising. However, the case was withdrawn in January this year.
PPCB chairman Satwinder Marwaha was unavailable for comments.
