Civic body cracks whip on dairy waste flow into Buddha Nullah

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, December 28

The Municipal Corporation (MC) has cracked the whip on the illegal discharge of cow dung and dairy waste into the Buddha Nullah, a seasonal tributary of the Sutlej flowing in Ludhiana, officials have said.

A whopping 3.24 metric tonnes (MT) of cow dung and dairy waste was generated by 26,991 animals at 461 dairies at the dairy complex in Haibowal daily, the MC has estimated.

It was one of the major sources of polluting the nullah, which was now being rejuvenated to make it a clean water body under an ambitious project worth Rs 840 crore.

Reviewing the status of cow dung, dairy waste and other sources of pollution into the Sutlej tributary, which used to be one of the most polluted water bodies, running almost parallel to the Sutlej through most of Ludhiana district, including 14 km in Ludhiana city, which it bisects into two parts, before merging with the river, Rajya Sabha MP from Ludhiana Sanjeev Arora has asked the MC officials to adopt zero tolerance for pollution into the nullah and take strict action against all those found polluting the water body.

Sharing the action-taken report, MC Commissioner Sandeep Rishi briefed Arora that of the total 3,23,832 MT of cow dung generated daily, the civic body has been able to manage 2,57,500 MT received from 461 dairies through eight trolleys.

He said 1,95,300 MT of cow dung and dairy waste received from 350 dairies was disposed of at biogas plant, 54,200 MT from 92 dairies was ferried by trolleys and tippers to dispose of at sewage treatment plant (STP) at Balloke, and 7,800 MT of cow dung and dairy waste from 19 dairies was disposed of at own farms of the dairies concerned.

The MC chief apprised the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member in the Upper House of Parliament from Punjab that besides issuing over 200 challans, many sewerage connections of violators have also been disconnected for flowing untreated waste into the sewer lines, which further polluted the Sutlej tributary.

Rishi said the work on dairy waste management had also picked up pace with the construction of two effluent treatment plants (ETPs) for handling liquid waste from the dairy complexes. While 37 per cent work had been completed on 3.75-MLD capacity ETP at Haibowal, 35 per cent work had been achieved on the other 2.25-MLD capacity plant on Tajpur Road with a target to complete them by December 31.

Divulging steps taken for handling of cow dung waste, the MC Commissioner told the MP that cow dung was being transported from the Haibowal dairy complex to the Balloke STP through trolleys, land was being identified for dumping of cow dung near Tajpur dairy complex areas, punitive action was being taken against dairy owners to stop discharge of their untreated effluent into sewer lines or the Buddha Nullah.

For the management of dairy waste, an ETP of 235 MT daily capacity had already been established at the Haibowal dairy complex while two more ETPs — one of 200 MT daily capacity was under tendering stage by PEDA at Tajpur dairy complex and the other 260 MT plant was also being installed at the Haibowal dairy complex.

Rishi revealed that 200 cusecs of fresh canal water was being released from the Sirhind Canal daily into the Buddha Nullah with an aim to decrease the pollution load by dilution and improve the aesthetic view of the Sutlej tributary passing through the length and breadth of the mega city.

Further to check the dumping of solid waste being thrown by residents into the nullah, a 10-foot-high chain link fence was being installed on both sides of the water body along the whole stretch of 14-km passing through Ludhiana.

The project, costing Rs 13.39 crore and entailing 28-km-long chain link fencing along the banks of the nullah, had already missed the October 31 deadline but was in the advanced stage of completion.

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