Dairy Shifting Project: Effluent treatment plant yet to come up at Ablowal site

Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 16

Nearly a year after the Municipal Corporation project for shifting dairy farmers to a new site at Ablowal village was left hanging over various reasons, including pending works, the civic body is yet to establish an effluent treatment plant (ETP) at the site. The MC is expected to float a tender for the work estimated at Rs 4.94 crore.

The dairy shifting project, aimed at ridding the city of dumping of dairy waste in its sewer lines, has been part of controversies and allegations of corruption due to party politics, and thus hanging fire. The works of marking of plots along with providing roads and other infrastructure has been completed while the work of phase 2, including setting up of an ETP, veterinary dispensary, cowshed and cow-dung storage shed, is far from completion.

The project was started in 2020. The MC had identified 297 dairy farms in the city, but dissatisfied with the manner of implementation of the project, the dairy farmers took the matter to court. An issue regarding infringement of the right to religion, allegations of corruption in the project were also raked up.

Later, a number of dairy farmers agreed to shift to the new site, while others shifted outside the city adjacent to Chhoti Nadi or left the profession.

The implementation of the project came to a standstill on September 30 last year over former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s verbal direction to officials of the district administration to shift the dairy farmers only after providing them with all necessary facilities.

Meanwhile, MC officials said the civic body had floated a tender for the establishment of an ETP estimated at Rs 3.74 crore thrice last year but failed to allocate it due to the high rate of bidding on two counts. They said, “Now, we have revised the tender estimates to Rs 4.94 crore. The estimates need to be vetted by the Department of Local Government.”

MC Commissioner Aaditya Uppal said earlier, the estimates were based on lump sums. “Now, the exact estimates have been made. We want the ETP to be set up to shift the dairy farmers and complete the project. Therefore, steps are being taken in this regard,” he said.

Project came to a halt in Sept last yr

The implementation of the project came to a standstill on September 30 last year over former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's verbal direction to officials of the district administration to shift the dairy farmers only after providing them with all necessary facilities.

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