CHANDIGARH: The Member of Parliament of AAP in Rajya Sabha from Punjab and environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal has questioned the Punjab government and its officials over its persistent failure to clean polluted Buddha Nullah despite spending crores and efforts on its rejuvenation.
While addressing a gathering at Gyan Anjan Academy in Ludhiana on Thursday during the release of a book on Bhagat Puran Singh, Seechewal said, "If the Buddha Nullha is not cleaned, there is no point in remaining a Rajya Sabha member."
While Seechewal’s statement is not a formal announcement of resignation from the Rajya Sabha, it, however, does put the spotlight on why a cleanup effort championed by an MP from the ruling party has yet to resolve a persistent source of pollution in Punjab.
The issue came under sharp focus during the 46th meeting of the Buddha Dariya Rejuvenation Project, where the continuing pollution of the water body raised serious questions about the performance of the departments responsible for controlling the discharge of sewage and industrial waste.
Pointing towards the continued discharge of dairy waste into the nullah despite arrangements to collect and transport cattle dung from Tajpur road and Haibowal dairy clusters in Ludhiana which round house 38,000 cattle, Seechewal said, "If I cannot do this I should not remain an MP, as I took this work with lot of zeal now I am facing lot of hurdles."
He added that some 150 FIRs have been registered against those who do not comply with waste management requirements but the problem remains.
During his visits to various sewage treatment plants (STPs) and effluent treatment plants (ETPs), Seechewal reportedly found shortcomings in their functioning. The situation has raised questions about the monitoring of these facilities and the accountability of officials responsible for ensuring that sewage and industrial waste are treated properly before discharge.
The nearly Rs 800-crore reportedly spent on pollution-control and rejuvenation efforts has also brought the gap between expenditure and results into focus.
The continuing flow of polluted discharge into Buddha Nullah has left the administration facing questions over why the problem persists despite substantial investment.
Seechewal’s criticism comes at a time when the government’s efforts to clean the drain continue to face challenges on the ground. Despite repeated meetings, directions to officials and action against those found violating waste-disposal rules, pollution remains a major concern in Ludhiana.
Sources said that these both dairy clusters produce around 500 tonnes of cattle waste daily, of this approximately 160 tonnes remains a disposal problem as a few dairy owners do not give their waste for collection.
From Janaury this year the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation gave a Rs 22 crore contract to a firm to collect, transport and dispose this dug waste but the problem remains.