Multi-sectoral approach needed to address Buddha Nullah issue: Centre

The Union ministry of jal shakti on Monday said the issue of Ludhiana’s Buddha Nullah required a multi-sectoral approach involving different departments of the Punjab government. Rajya Sabha member Satnam Singh Sandhu Sandhu asked the ministry about the measures taken to reduce the pollution in the Sutlej river, the steps to control pollution in Buddha Nullah and if any study had been done on the cancer-causing nature of its water. Highlighting the steps taken to reduce the water pollution in the Sutlej, the ministry replied, “The Punjab government has undertaken the Buddha Nullah rejuvenation project with financial assistance from the ministry of housing and urban affairs under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation scheme. The project includes setting up sewage treatment plants with 225 million litres per day capacity in Jamalpur and 60 MLD in Balloke, rehabilitating four STPs in Bhattian and Balloke and establishing two effluent treatment plants for wastewater from Haibowal and Tajpur Road dairy complexes.” The ministry further stated that to prevent and control industrial discharge from small and medium-scale dyeing industries in Ludhiana, common effluent treatment plants with capacities of 40 MLD, 50 MLD, and 15 MLD had been made operational.