Citizens demand effective action to clean Buddha Nala

Smart City has no meaning without it

Ludhiana: 6 June 2016: (Punjab Screen Bureau):   Mon, Jun 6, 2016 at 3:18 PM  

Speaking at the Public Function organized by the Bharat Jan Gyan Vigyan Jatha Ludhiana on 5^th June to mark the World Environment Day on the theme JAL HAI TO KAL HAI various speakers criticized the administration for its utter failure in implementing the Satluj Action Plan meant to clean the Buddha Nalla. Clear water of the Nalla starts becoming polluted as soon as it enters the boundary of the city as a result of industrial affluent and domestic waste being disposed into it.  

Addressing on the occasion Maj. Sher Singh Aulukh said that Satluj Action Plan was outlined and as a follow up of this P Ram Committee was formed. Our organisation had been actively associated with the work under this. As a part of this three Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs) were established at Village Bhattian, Baloke and Jamalpur. Also five green bridges were to be constructed for bio remediation of waste water flowing in Buddha Nallah. M/s.Green Infrastructure, Pune had laid down condition for proper working of the green bridges viz Lifting of Municipal Solid Waste, Functioning of STPs and Outlets into Buddha Nallah should be plugged.   As per our observations none of these three conditions have not been implemented satisfactorily (Photographs from some sites are being attached as an evidence). As a result the whole project seems to be failing.

Dr Rajinder Pal Singh Aulukh said that transparency should be ensured in this work and responsibility should be fixed on the concerned. As a double check of the samples of treated water after STPs the citizens should be allowed to take samples on their own and get them checked. The monitoring committee should meet quarterly to assess the progress made. 

  

Mr. M.S.Bhatia, Organising Secretary said that whereas the citizens should realize their responsibility, it is the duty of the administration to ensure the implementation of various clauses and to create awareness in the public. He said that it is imperative that throwing of solid waste/ refuge should be totally banned and made illegal. Violators should be penalized. A vociferous awareness campaign should be carried out with the help of NGOs who are already working for this cause and the population living around the Buddha Nallah should be involved. The working of the STPs should be continuously monitored in coordination with the NGOs working for this cause. In the first step the factors effecting the proper working of STPs should be identified. Thereafter corrective measures should be taken. To our information none of the outlets draining untreated effluent directly into the Buddha Nallah have been plugged. Strict measures in a time bound framework should be taken to plug all the outlets. Violators should be penalized. Road should be constructed both sides which also clear the encroachments on the banks of the Nallah and plantation should be done. 

A memorandum regarding the concerned issues of environment of Ludhiana particularly the water pollution was presented to Shri Devinder Singh Additional Commissioner (MC) Ludhiana by the office bearers of the Jatha. Shri Devinder Singh in his address said that the issues raised by the Bharat Jan Gyan Vigyan Jatha are very relevant and the corporation is seized with these. We have already started a movement with the help of the citizens.

Mrs.Kusum Lata – National Awardee Headmistress gave a talk on water management. She said that the citizens have to be cautious about these situations. Rainwater harvesting should be made mandatory. She presented a play by the students of Govt. High School Sarabha Nagar on Environment.

Shri Ranjit Singh- National Awardee Headmaster (Retd.) and  Vice President of the Jatha along with Shri Sukhdev Chandel  organized a quiz competition on environment and gave prizes to the winners in the form of saplings.

An intra-school painting competition was organized in different schools on the theme SAVE WATER-SAVE LIFE. The best three entries from each school were awarded in the function. The posters prepared by the students were displayed at the venue.

Shri Surinder Kumar recited poems on the environment.

Mr.Parveen Kumar, Harpreet Kaur and Jaspreet Mohan Singh Khurana prepared on the spot a 40 feet long painting for environment day. 

Anita Sharma from Belan Brigade in her address said that without providing the basic animities to the citizens Smart City concept has no meaning.

Col.Gill from Lets Clean Ludhiana Trust cautioned the RO users. The government should not encourage RO system. 

Many organisations working for the cause participated and supported the efforts.

Others who addressed and participated in organizing the event include Shri Krishan Lal Malik, MrsGurcharan Kocher, Shri Pardeep Sharma, Swaroop Singh, Er S P Singh, Dr Babita Jain, Sohan Singh, I.S.Sodhi, Rajwinder Singh, Shri Amritpal Singh, Sandeep Kumar, Radhika Jaitwani, Ravi Arora, Shri Ramadhar Singh, Randhir Singh Dheera, Anod Kumar