The commercial metropolis of Ludhiana changed into a fortress Tuesday with police stopping and detaining greater than 150 individuals who reached right here below the banner of ‘Kale Pani da Morcha’ from throughout Punjab and neighbouring Rajasthan to register their protest in opposition to the poisonous industrial effluents being dumped into Buddha Nullah. The Nullah, which runs by way of the center of metropolis, merges into the Sutlej river. Locals declare they’ve been affected by a number of well being points after consuming water from Sutlej.
“Kale Pani da Morcha”, a civilian motion is being led by Ludhiana residents Amandeep Singh Bains, Kuldeep Singh Khaira, and Jaskirat Singh amongst others, to struggle for the fundamental proper of getting access to clear water and to strain the federal government into taking concrete steps to wash Buddha Nullah, during which metropolis’s dyeing industries allegedly dump their waste water “after getting it handled in Widespread Effluent Therapy Vegetation (CETPs)”. The activists, nonetheless, declare in any other case and accuse Punjab authorities of failing to take concrete motion even because the Central Air pollution Management Board (CPCB), in a latest reply submitted within the Nationwide Inexperienced Tribunal (NGT) had declared that CETPs functioning in Ludhiana have been discovered “non-complying with environmental norms.”
The CPCB had additionally produced a duplicate of the order directing Punjab Air pollution Management Board to take motion and “cease discharge of effluents into Buddha Nullah”, however in keeping with the activists, “nothing actually occurred on the bottom”.
In August this yr, the CPCB in its reply (copy with The Indian Specific) on the standing of utmost water air pollution in Buddha Nullah because of alleged dumping of poisonous discharge by dyeing models, had acknowledged that it carried out the inspection of 4 CETPs situated in Ludhiana on April 22 and 23, 2024 to confirm compliance standing.
The CETPs inspected by the CPCB workforce included: 40 MLD close to Central Jail, Tajpur Street (Focal Level Module), 50 MLD Tajpur-Rahon Street Cluster, 15 MLD Bahadurke Street and 500 KLD, Part-VIII Focal Level.
“It was noticed that out one CETP of 500 Kilo Litre Per Day (KLD) is a zero liquid discharge plant whereas three CETPs have been discovered exceeding the discharge requirements. As per environmental clearance (EC) granted to CETPs, the handled water shall not be discharged into Buddha Nullah, nonetheless three CETPs are reportedly discharging it into Buddha Nullah,” the CPCB mentioned in its reply to the NHT.
“Based mostly on the noticed non-compliance…CPCB has issued instructions dated August 12 below part 18(1)(b) of the Water (Prevention and Management of Air pollution) Act to Punjab Air pollution Management Board to take acceptable motion together with imposing environmental compensation,” the CPCB had advised the NGT. The CPCB had directed the PPCB to ship an motion taken report inside 15 days.
The PPCB in its reply to the NGT had acknowledged that it has already imposed an setting compensation (EC) of at the very least Rs 2.77 crore on the three non-complying crops.
PPCB acknowledged that there are 265 dyeing models working in Ludhiana civic physique limits which will be broadly categorized into three varieties so far as air pollution management standing is anxious: giant scale dyeing models, scattered dyeing models (small and medium scale), and models that are related to CETPs.
PPCB acknowledged that there are 11 giant scale dyeing models of which 9 are discharging waste into the sewer. PPCB has additionally constituted a committee to look at alternate options accessible with trade with regard to permitting discharge into the sewer.
There are 43 scattered models of which 26 are situated in Industrial Space-A (of which 4 have been completely closed and two have been issued orders for closure) and remaining 17 (of which three have adopted ZLD, two have been closed completely and one has shifted to discharge onto land for plantation).
It additional mentioned that 108 dyeing models are related to 50 MLD CETP on Tajpur street. It’s reaching requirements as per MoEF (Ministry of Atmosphere, Forest and Local weather Change) norms besides Complete Dissolved Solids (TDS) and discharging into Buddha Nullah. The board has imposed environmental compensation of Rs 25 lakh for violations on the CETP.
One other 76 dyeing models are related to 40 MLD CETP at Focal Level. This plant too isn’t reaching TDS requirements and discharging into Buddha Nullah. A compensation of Rs 75 lakh and financial institution assure of Rs 1 crore has been imposed on it, mentioned PPCB.
One other 36 models are related to fifteen MLD plant on Bahadurke Street, which has been fined Rs 1.77 crore for not reaching TDS requirements, mentioned the PPCB.
The state air pollution board, in its earlier report, had additionally admitted that “waters of Buddha Nullah have been unfit for irrigation”.
The PPCB in September this yr, had issued notices to dyeing industries to cease discharge into Buddha Nullah. The dyeing trade later moved NGT in search of interim reduction. The matter is now sub-judice within the inexperienced tribunal.
