Concrete wall along Buddha Nullah: Notice to four, inspection held

The Public Action Committee (PAC) has filed a complaint against the Principal Secretary of the Local Government Department, Municipal Corporation (MC) Ludhiana, Irrigation Department as well as the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) against an encroachment over land and building of a concrete wall along with Buddha Nullah by the MC. The committee alleged that the move by the MC was against the directions of the Supreme Court, National Green Tribunal (NGT) and environment laws. The committee has also served a legal notice upon all four in this regard.

Er Kapil Arora and Kuldeep Singh Khaira said that the Buddha Nullah was getting narrow due to encroachments by private persons along it and the NGT had directed the MC Commissioner to identify all encroachments and remove them as per law. The MC took many years to identify the encroachments and demolished some of these. However, due to some political interference and personal interests, some encroachments were not touched and were still in existence as on date.

A green buffer zone was required to be developed along this side after removal of all encroachments, but instead of necessary plantation, the MC removed all vegetation and started constructing the wall, resulting in the obstruction of the flow of the nullah.

Jaskirat Singh and Amandeep Singh Bains further added that wild vegetation along natural drains helped better water quality, control flood, prevented erosion and provided habitat for wildlife and acted as a natural filter.

Meanwhile, in an effort to assess the deteriorating condition of the Buddha Nullah, the Buddha Dariya Action Front and Public Action Committee under the leadership of social activist Anita Sharma conducted ground inspection near the 5 MLD effluent treatment plant (ETP) at the Tajpur Dairy Complex today. The visit exposed distressing levels of pollution, lawless dumping, illegal encroachments and unhygienic conditions plaguing the nullah and its surroundings.

Massive dumping of solid waste, including plastic, animal dung and food remnants, was found throughout the area. The river banks and adjacent lands were found littered with refuse from both households and dairies.

Maninderjit Singh Benipal of the front said a nearby fish market was a significant contributor to the pollution as the waste water was being discharged directly into the river from there. “The foul odour and filthy roads render the nearby areas inhabitable. It poses a serious public health risk to both local residents and workers. Two discharge points were found, where untreated waste water flows into the Buddha Nullah — one directly from the ETP and another from dairy operations near the bridge. These are blatant violations of environmental regulations and indicate gross administrative failure,” said Benipal.

As part of the inspection, Anita Sharma and the PAC team held a vital discussion with several dairy owners of the Tajpur Dairy Complex. The entire area is categorised into three segments — A, B, and C — for easier planning and implementation by the dairy owners. Besides, entry to the ETP area is hindered by cow dung, filth and unbearable odour.

Key suggestions, solutions for dairy owners

Enforcement of zero liquid discharge norms: Absolutely no untreated water should reach the Buddha Nullah under any circumstances.

Formation of a cooperative society: All dairy units in the complex should unite under a cooperative model for better coordination, profit earning, waste disposal and responsibility-sharing.

Segment-wise cow dung collection and disposal points: Establish two centralised collection and disposal point each for cow dung and other miscellaneous waste in each segment (A, B,C)

Shared responsibility for cow dung transport: Individual dairy units must transport the cow dung to their segment’s CDP. The dairy cooperative will oversee and ensure compliance.