Clean Buddha Nullah — still a distant dream

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 21

The Municipal Corporation has failed to check the dumping of solid waste into the Buddha Nullah despite spending around Rs80 lakh on de-silting and removal of solid waste from this highly-polluted drain in the past six months.

The MC allocates lakhs of rupees for de-silting of the nullah every year in its annual budget, but it has failed to find out any permanent solution so far. Thus, residents living in the areas around the Buddha Nullah are a harried lot.

Apart from dumping solid waste, the untreated industrial waste and sewerage are also being released into the nullah for the past five decades in different areas under the jurisdiction of the MC, as the sewerage treatment plants (STPs) are not being upgraded.

Notably, a major project ‘Abatement of Pollution in Buddha Nullah’ and upgrade of STPs is hanging fire for three years. The previous SAD-BJP government had assigned the task to Engineers India Limited (EIL) to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) in this regard, while the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) was appointed as the nodal agency to look after the project, which is yet to see the light of day.

Ashok Kumar of Shivpuri said: “The stench emanating from the drain has made the life of residents miserable. There is also no check on people dumping waste in the nullah.”

The MC, around three years ago, announced to slap a fine of Rs5,000 on violators for dumping solid waste, but nothing has been done to stop this practice. In 2016, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had also sought a report from the civic body over the status of the outlets that release untreated effluents (industrial and sewerage waste) into it.

Suresh Gupta, a shopkeeper, said: “Nothing has changed in the past 15 years. The government should find a permanent solution to make the drain pollution free.”

The nullah was known as Buddha Dariya and its clean water was used for various purposes including bathing and cleaning in the’60’s, an elderly at Chander Nagar said. The polluted nullah passes from various wards under the MC as well as villages outside the civic body’s jurisdiction.

A senior citizen, Narinder Kumar of Peeru Banda area said: “We used to play on the banks of the nullah. Now, it is difficult to even walk through the road along the nullah. The authorities concerned are doing nothing to stop pollution in the nullah.”

The civic body has allocated Rs1 crore for the cleanliness of Buddha Nullah during the current financial year.

MC’s Superintending Engineer (SE), Rajinder Singh said: “We conduct cleanliness of the nullah every year. The de-silting work that costs Rs 80 lakh was started ahead of rainy season this year.”

GP Singh, executive engineer, Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board, said: “The final detailed project report for the abatement of pollution in the Buddha Nullah project is pending. Some objections were raised on previous report filed by the firm concerned. Once the report is finalised, we will take further steps in this regard.”