Open house: What should be done to save sutlej tributary from further decay?

Need to support local initiatives

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The cleaning of Buddha Nullah in Ludhiana is fast becoming a pressing issue, because it is a major source of pollution in the Sutlej. Besides, its waters are frequently used for drinking water and irrigation. The Buddha Nullah, a Sutlej tributary that flows through Ludhiana, transports untreated sewage and toxic industrial waste from the city, including effluents from dyeing and bleaching units, into the Sutlej, and is thought to be responsible for 90 per cent of the river’s pollution. It is heartening to note that after understanding the importance of cleaning the Buddha Nullah, Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria raised the issue of contamination of the affected catchment area with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and persuaded him to expedite the cleaning of the waterbody. Not only the government but also the people of the city should understand the importance of keeping the Buddha Nullah clean for the sake of protecting our ecosystems. All individuals must refrain from dumping plastic waste, effluents and chemicals into the Buddha Nullah. Furthermore, supporting local initiatives to preserve natural resources and advocating for stricter pollution regulations on industrial waste can contribute to a healthier river environment. Small actions, taken together, can have a big impact.

Novin Christopher

Will do everything to save buddha nullah

We have already ordered the stoppage of treated effluent discharge from three common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) into Buddha Nullah. Further, we will take every possible step to check water pollution, save Sutlej tributary from further decay and preserve it as a clean water body. — Adarsh Pal Vig, PPCB chief

Sensitise residents living on banks

The Buddha Nullah passing through the city needs urgent attention to prevent it from further deterioration and to save the lives of those living on its banks. This can be done first by involving the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in such a programme. This agency is responsible for ensuring sustainable management of such waterbodies in the country and its role must not be undermined. There are essentially two issues concerning the catchment area: First, inflow of polluted industrial discharge and second, dumping of city’s domestic waste. The nullah gets polluted discharge from the local industry in the city. In this, the industries adding polluted discharge must be identified and warned against this practice. These erring industries must not be allowed to continue with this practice and the defaulters must be heavily punished. Residents living near the nallah must be educated so that they neither themselves throw household waste into the nullah nor allow others to dump. The sweepers collecting household waste from the dwelling units need to be warned that they must not throw the garbage collected by them into the nullah as it adda to its deterioration. Such pollutants on decomposition add to the crisis faced by the waterbody. These two steps will ensure the safety of the Buddha Nullah, preventing it from further deterioration.

Gautam Dev

Question for next week

Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav made surprise visits and checks in Ludhiana and other parts of the state during late night hours last week. He went around cities and suburbs to inspect police presence and interacted with residents as well. What else needs to be done to strengthen police-public relationship, improve policing and enhance public safety and security?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to ludhianadesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (October 24)

Rope in prominent industrialists

There are various problems whether it is pollution, traffic, adulteration, encroachment, water and sanitation but for many years, the biggest threat Ludhiana is being faced with is that of the polluted Buddha Nullah. Once upon a time it was a river with clean and clear water which has now turned into a filthy one. It becomes too difficult to live in its surroundings and to inhale the stench. So many diseases have started to come out. Various efforts have been made to get it cleaned even by releasing fresh water from the Sutlej into it, but all in vain. The state government may get it cleaned if they have a strong will. The first step is plugging all those channels which are polluting it, mainly the dying factories. Those who are releasing untreated water and other effluents must be punished and their factories should be locked down. Some stretch should be allocated to one organisation or a prominent industrialist to get it clean. They shall be responsible to keep it clean. Third, each and every resident of Ludhiana should pledge not to throw any waste into it. Only then it will be cleaned and its past glory may be restored.

Dr Mohd Saleem Farooqui

Rampant corruption is worsening situation

Recently, the Central Government extended its support to the state government to make the Buddha Nullah, a tributary of the Sutlej, free from pollution. The department concerned has pumped Rs 840 crore and given many deadlines to make it clean and pollution-free but authorities have not accomplished it till date. They usually offer different excuses. Authorities should adopt a multipronged strategy to deal with this menace. This is a sorry state of affairs. Recently, the Punjab Pollution Control Board submitted before the National Green Tribunal that the Buddha Nullah waters were not even fit for irrigation. So again, the debate is on as to where all these funds are used and its impact on residents. The NGT panel has asked the MC to make the Buddha Nullah garbage-free, increase staff at sewage treatment plants, and install CCTVs in the treatment plants along the nullah and to seal the points used by the MC for dumping untreated sewage. The problem is high level of corruption both in the MC and the PPCB. People tend to cut corners for personal gain. This time, the NGT is fixing individual responsibility of different divisions of the MC. Officials will have to act on it. To make it pollution-free, more effective steps are needed such as regular audit of sources generating effluents. The municipal corporation should weed out corrupt employees who indulge in protecting erring units, apprise all stakeholders of the value of good health and clean water for irrigation. The PPCB should heavily penalise industrial units which don’t adhere to the guidelines. All elected representatives should also take care the municipal corporation works efficiently and honestly. The Irrigation Department should increase the flow of water from the Sirhind Canal to reduce the level of water pollution in the Buddha Nullah. The Centre has more expertise and resources to deal with such issues, municipal authorities should take full support and meticulously execute guidelines provided by them. All these measures have the potential to mitigate menace of pollution in the Buddha Nullah.

Sukhdev Sharma

Where has grant money gone?

Residents of Ludhiana are confronted with so many problems and one of them is the polluted Buddha Nullah. It poses so many problems not only for humans but also for other living creatures. One cannot pass or walk on the banks of Buddha Nullah as it stinks. So many organisations and activists such as Seechewal have tried their best to plug the sources which pollute Buddha Nullah but all in vain. World Bank has sanctioned funds to clean it but nobody knows where it was used. It is posing a serious threat to the water supply as it passes through the city. Why has a solution not been found so far? Are we so selfish that for the interest of some people we are sacrificing the lives of others? Are we answerable to the coming generations that we are unable to give them a neat and clean environment? These are some core issues to address. There are so many schemes and committees which are formed to suggest concrete solutions for its cleanliness but all have failed so for. First, the administration has to plug all those channels which are throwing their waste and releasing polluted water. Some of the other measures the local administration may take are: It should ban all units and other sources which pollute it. The municipal corporation should auction the portion of the Buddah Nullah which passes through city for the construction of stores or shops and give it on rent. The civic body should fix the responsibility of big industrial houses to lend their support to clean it. On both sides of the nullah, some trees must be planted to reduce the stench. Heavy fine should be imposed on those units which pollute it, defaulters must be pushed behind the bars.

Hazar Saal Mai Tareekh Sirf Itna Sa Badli Hai

Pehle Daur Pathar ka Tha Ab Log Hain Pathar Ke

Farzana Khan

Adopt new age tech to preserve Sutlej basin

The Buddha Nullah has always been a topic of hot discussion among the environmentalists. It is infamous for high levels of pollution. Many promises were made by the government to improve its current condition yet no action was taken. There is an immediate need to formulate and implement an action plan. A treatment plant can be started to treat the polluted Sutlej tributary. Stricter laws regarding waste disposal into the waterbodies should be enforced. Regular checks should be carried out by the officials. Newer technologies like reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, advanced oxidation, etc, can be used to clean the Sutlej catchment area of stubborn pollutants affecting region’s ecosystem.

Kirandeep Kaur