Rs840-crore Buddha Nullah rejuvenation project launched

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 12

The much-awaited Rs840-crore rejuvenation project of the highly polluted Buddha nullah, a seasonal tributary of the Sutlej was launched here on Tuesday.

The Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, who was scheduled to do the honours, cancelled his Ludhiana visit at the eleventh hour due to unforeseen reasons.

Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal launched the project and announced the deposit of Rs 320-crore first instalment in the Municipal Corporation (MC) bank account to ensure the smooth execution of the project.

He vowed to transform the highest polluted Sutlej tributary into Buddha Dariya within the next two years.

The rejuvenation project will give a new lease of life to one of the most polluted nullahs, which runs almost parallel to the Sutlej through most of Ludhiana district, including 14 km in Ludhiana city, before joining the Sutlej.

Under the multi-crore rejuvenation plan, the existing 625 MLD untreated domestic waste water discharged directly into the nullah and the future discharge will be checked.

Of the total three common effluent treatment plants (CETPs), with total capacity of 105 MLD, being constructed to check the discharge of untreated domestic and partially treated domestic and industrial effluent directly into the nullah, a CETP with 15 MLD treatment capacity was already operational, while other two CETPs will be functional by March-end.

The major work under the rejuvenation of the 47.55-km-long Buddha Nullah has been awarded for domestic waste water management.

While the capital cost of the project will be Rs 519 crore, the 10-year operation and maintenance will cost Rs 321 crore.

The entire project will be completed within two years. While the project will be completely in operation by November 2022, some components will be put to operation earlier.

The scope of the work included setting up of two new sewage treatment plants (STPs) with tertiary filtration for treating 285 MLD waste water, two effluent treatment plants for treatment of 6 MLD waste water from two dairy clusters, refurbishment of four existing STPs with the treatment capacity of 418 MLD, infrastructure for the transfer of waste water overflowing into the nullah to the STPs, 10-year operation and maintenance of the entire infrastructure.

As per the agreement, the contractor will provide Rs 55-crore credit for gas generated from the two existing STPs (UASB technology plants), and will take care of additional unforeseen works like the transfer of domestic/industrial waste water and additional treatment capacity for domestic waste water, worth Rs 22 crore.

The work has been awarded to M/s KIPL Ltd & GVPR Engineers Ltd, a joint venture, after an online bidding process.While the MC has also initiated a massive effort to tackle the problem of solid waste dumping into Buddha Nullah, a special awareness campaign was launched on December 28 last with the help of the NCC and NSS volunteers of seven local colleges.

Besides, the improvement of environment micro-forestation, release of 200 cusecs of clean water from the canal and landscaping and beautification along the nullah has also been planned in the next phase.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, PWD and School Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla and PPCC president Sunil Jakhar were present on the occasion.

fact file

• Rs 320 crore deposited in Municipal Corporation account
• Nullah to be transformed into Buddha Dariya within 2 years
• Project to give new lease of life to one of the most polluted nullahs

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