Governor reviews Buddha Nullah rejuvenation project

Governor Gulab Chand Kataria has expressed satisfaction over works done to clean the Buddha Nullah in rural areas but in city areas, he feels the dariya needs urgent attention and work needs to be done at a fast pace in view of the public health concern.

Gulab Chand Kataria on Friday visited Ludhiana to review the Buddha Dariya rejuvenation project. Accompanied by Rajya Sabha MP Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal and other key officials, he assessed progress and held discussions with representatives from the Municipal Corporation, Rural Development and Panchayats Department, Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), Irrigation Department, Sewerage Board and other agencies.

The meeting was attended by prominent figures, including, Mayor Inderjit Kaur, Principal Secretary Vivek Pratap Singh, Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain and Municipal Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal.

Kataria stressed the urgent need for stringent action against industries and dairy units polluting the Buddha Dariya.

He emphasised that despite the concerted efforts of multiple agencies, polluters must be held accountable to prevent further contamination of water. Kataria directed to demarcate a 14-km stretch of the dariya, with the Deputy Commissioner assuring its completion as soon as possible.

Jain also updated the Governor on plans to establish a biogas plant near Tajpur Road to curb the dumping of cow dung into the water body, with the site nearly finalised in collaboration with the corporation and PPCB.

The Municipal Commissioner reported significant progress in tackling illegal cow dung dumping, noting that tenders for door-to-door cow dung collection would be awarded within the next week to address the issue comprehensively.

He added that the authorities had registered over 100 FIRs and issued substantial fines to offending dairies.

Dachalwal also informed the Governor that Ludhiana’s STPs have a combined capacity to treat 703 million litres per day (MLD) of untreated water, contributing to the dariya’s clean-up.

Officials from the PPCB, Sewerage Board and Irrigation and Soil Conservation Departments also presented detailed progress reports on their contributions to the rejuvenation efforts.

The Governor scheduled the next review meeting for December, urging all departments to maintain momentum and work collaboratively to ensure the success of the dariya rejuvenation project.

Earlier in the day, he also inspected Tajpur Road Sangat Ghat and lauded the efforts of Seechewal for the initiative.