Governor seeks report from CM Mann on Sutlej pollution

Governor Gulab Chand Kataria has sought a report from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on the widespread pollution in the Sutlej. Kataria also reviewed the ongoing work and future plans to clean and preserve highly polluted Sutlej tributary Buddha Nullah.

The development follows Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagde’s letter to Kataria seeking immediate action to stop the flow of poisonous water into the Sutlej.

Forwarding the demi-official letter received from his Rajasthan counterpart, Kataria has drawn CM’s attention towards the discharge of chemicals from industrial units in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Phagwara and other cities into Buddha Nullah, which flows into the Sutlej.

“The water of Sutlej is being supplied to 12 districts of Rajasthan namely Sriganganagar, Bikaner, Jodhpur and others, for drinking and irrigation purposes,” Kataria wrote, while stating that the polluted water was causing diseases like cancer among people in Rajasthan.

Kataria, who hails from Udaipur in Rajasthan, has put forth his Rajasthan counterpart’s demand to take appropriate steps to prevent the discharge of chemicals into Buddha Nullah.

He has also forwarded to the CM a similar representation received from Rajya Sabha member Satnam Singh Sandhu on Sutlej pollution due to the discharge of effluents into Buddha Nullah.

Kataria further apprised the CM that the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti had said that the issue required multi-sectoral and multi-departmental action by the Punjab Government.

“There is a need for time-bound completion of the rejuvenation project to protect the Sutlej from the effluents discharged into Buddha Nullah,” the Governor wrote, while adding that the matter was very serious and had been pending for a couple of decades.

Kataria has urged the CM to send him a report regarding the gravity of the issue, measures taken so far to address the same and the future plan of action in that regard.

Meanwhile, the Governor chaired a high-level meeting attended by the heads of various in-line departments, including Local Government, Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Irrigation, Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) and the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (MC).

Calling for both short and long-term plans of action to clean and preserve Buddha Nullah on permanent basis, the Governor asked for de-silting the Sutlej tributary on a massive scale.

BJP’s nominated member in the Rajya Sabha Satnam Singh Sandhu assured all possible help from the Centre to achieve the goal.

The MC made a presentation on the current status of the Buddha Nullah rejuvenation project, ongoing works and future plans to pollution in the Sutlej tributary.

Not much impressed with the ongoing works, the Governor directed the heads of the in-line departments to launch a coordinated and sustained campaign to free Buddha Nullah and the Sutlej of the rampant pollution.