PPCB submits status report on Buddha Nullah samples

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 25

In a petition filed before the National Green Tribunal, the Punjab Pollution Control Board has submitted a status report highlighting samples taken from the Buddha Nullah at different locations and the status of dyeing units and CETPs in the city.

According to the status report, the Punjab Pollution Control Board had collected water samples from various locations along the Buddha Nullah in the district on January 19. The PPCB said the samples collected were analysed for quality with respect to parameters prescribed for the treatment of sewage as well as industrial effluents. Examination of the analysis report has revealed the concentration of different parameters of water flowing in Buddha Nullah exceeds the prescribed standards for STP, thus rendering the water unfit for irrigation with respect to parameters like coliform, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), among others.

The status report mentioned that 211 dyeing units were linked with three common effluent treatment plants, while 54 dyeing units were not connected with CETPs. Of the total of around 300 dyeing units in the district, approximately 265 fall within the catchment area of Buddha Nullah, which originates in Koom Kalan village of the district and runs parallel to Sutlej.

Expressing doubts over the status report filed by PPCB, some city-based environmental activists said the levels of pollution could be much higher than those shown in the status report.

Col JS Gill, environment activist, said they are demanding the samples from Buddha Nullah and CETPs must be collected by an independent agency in the presence of environmentalists, and these must be tested under their complete supervision to bring the truth of pollution levels in front of all.

He said, “We need to find out the sources of pollution which are becoming extreme. The operations of all dyeing and electroplating industries should be thoroughly examined and those responsible for pollution should be strictly punished.”

Activist Kuldeep Singh Khaira said, “If the samples are collected and tested fairly, large amounts of heavy metals could be found in Buddha Nullah”. The report seems to favour dyeing, electroplating, and polluting industries, he alleged.

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