Punjab: RS MP holds meeting with officials for cleaning up of Buddha Nullah
Aug 21, 2024
By Arun Kumar
Ludhiana (Punjab) [India], August 21 : Rajya Sabha MP and environmentalist Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal held a meeting on Wednesday with administrative officials in Punjab regarding the problem of pollution in Buddha Nullah.
The MP urged the officials to take strict action to ensure the cleanliness of Buddha Nullah while speaking to administrative officials at the DC office. During the meeting, he also claimed to take forward the work of cleaning the Nullah himself.
While speaking to journalists after the meeting, he revealed that various issues were discussed, including pollution from dairies in the state and the deteriorating state of Buddha Nullah.
Ludhiana's Buddha Nullah is a 14-km stream that runs through the city and is polluted with massive quantities of toxic effluents and around 200 MLD of untreated sewage daily, throughout its passage to Sutlej River. The Nullah seen as one of the major sources of pollution of the Sutlej River. In 2020, the State government allocated Rs 650 for the rejuvenation project of the Nullah.
"The Buddha Nullah accounts for 90 per cent of the pollution in Sutlej River. The contaminated water is further distributed through canals for irrigation in the entire Malwa region of the state and parts of Rajasthan. Buddha Nullah is the most dangerous and toxic water body in Punjab, which affects the lives of over two crore citizens in Punjab and Rajasthan. Sadly, it was once a clear water stream and the centre of social life in Ludhiana," said Ludhiana Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu in 2020.
The Rajya Sabha MP supported the recommendation of a CBI investigation by the Assembly Committee and said that any irregularity should be investigated in the rejuvenation project.
The MP also claimed just like Kali Bein rivulet, the Buddha Nullah has received the touch of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and will be cleaned.
The treatment plants that have been installed to deal with the pollution were also discussed during the meeting with the officials, the MP revealed.
The environmentalist and Rajya Sabha MP claimed that due to the pollution, many people from Ludhiana and people from many parts of Rajasthan and Punjab are facing serious illnesses. The MP also called for the closure of industrial plants which are responsible for spreading pollution in the state.
