Ludhiana turned into a fortress Tuesday with the police stopping and detaining more than 150 people who came to the city under the banner of 'Kale Pani da Morcha' from across Punjab and neighbouring Rajasthan to register their protest against the toxic industrial effluents being dumped into Buddha Nullah. The Nullah, which runs through the heart of the industrial city, merges into the Sutlej River. Locals claim that they have been suffering from multiple health issues after consuming water from the Sutlej. ‘Kale Pani da Morcha’, a civilian movement led by Ludhiana residents Amandeep Singh Bains, Kuldeep Singh Khaira, and Jaskirat Singh among others, to fight for the basic right to have access to clean water and to pressure the government into taking concrete steps to clean Buddha Nullah. The city's dyeing industries allegedly dump their wastewater into Buddha Nullah “after getting it treated in Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs)”. The activists, however, claim otherwise and accuse the Punjab government of failing to take concrete action even as the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) declared that CETPs functioning in Ludhiana were found "non-complying with environmental norms.” In a recent reply submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), CPCB also produced a copy of the order directing the Punjab Pollution Control Board to take action and "stop the discharge of effluents into Buddha Nullah", but according to the activists, "nothing really happened on the ground". In August this year, CPCB in its reply (a copy of which is with The Indian Express) on the status of extreme water pollution in Buddha Nullah due to the toxic discharge allegedly dumped by dyeing units, stated that it inspected four CETPs located in Ludhiana on April 22 and 23, 2024, to verify compliance status. The CPCB team inspected CETPs including the 40 MLD near Central Jail, Tajpur Road (Focal Point Module), 50 MLD Tajpur-Rahon Road Cluster, 15 MLD Bahadurke Road and 500 KLD, Phase-VIII Focal Point. “It was observed that just one CETP of 500 Kilo Litre Per Day (KLD) is a zero liquid discharge plant while three CETPs were found exceeding the discharge standards. As per environmental clearance (EC) granted to CETPs, the treated water shall not be discharged into Buddha Nullah, however, three CETPs are reportedly discharging it into Buddha Nullah,” CPCB said in its reply to the NGT. "Based on the observed non-compliance. CPCB has issued directions dated August 12 under section 18(1)(b) of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act to the Punjab Pollution Control Board to take appropriate action including imposing environmental compensation," the Board told NGT. The Board also directed the PPCB to send an action taken report within 15 days. In its reply to NGT, PPCB stated that it has already imposed an environment compensation (EC) of at least Rs 2.77 crore on the three non-complying plants. PPCB stated that there are 265 dyeing units operating under the Ludhiana civic body limits which can be broadly classified into three types as far as pollution control status is concerned: large-scale dyeing units, scattered dyeing units (small and medium scale), and units which are connected to CETPs. PPCB stated there are 11 large-scale dyeing units of which nine are discharging waste into the sewer. PPCB has also constituted a committee to examine alternatives available to the industry with regard to allowing discharge into the sewer. There are 43 scattered units of which 26 are located in Industrial Area-A (of which four have been permanently closed and two have been issued orders for closure), and the remaining 17 (of which three have adopted ZLD, two have been closed permanently and one has shifted to discharge onto land for plantation). It added that 108 dyeing units are connected to 50 MLD CETP on Tajpur Road. It is achieving standards as per the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change norms except for Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and discharging into Buddha Nullah. The board has imposed environmental compensation of Rs 25 lakh for violations of CETP. Another 76 dyeing units are connected to 40 MLD CETP at Focal Point. This plant too is not achieving TDS standards and discharging into Buddha Nullah. A compensation of Rs 75 lakh and bank guarantee of Rs 1 crore has been imposed on it, said PPCB. Another 36 units are connected to the 15 MLD plant on Bahadurke Road, which has been fined Rs 1.77 crore for not achieving TDS standards, said PPCB. In its earlier report, the state pollution board also admitted that the "waters of Buddha Nullah were unfit for irrigation”. In September this year, PPCB issued notices to dyeing industries to stop the discharge of wastewater into Buddha Nullah. The dyeing industry later moved NGT seeking interim relief. The matter is now subjudice. ‘Buddha Nullah water quality non-complying on all parameters’ The CPCB report to NGT declared that the water quality of Buddha Nullah was found to be "non-complying" when tested for Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) when compared with the general discharge effluent standards. The concentration of BOD, COD, and TSS also increased in 2024 compared to 2022, the report added. The Morcha representatives filed a police complaint at the Tibba Police Station of Ludhiana on August 30 seeking the registration of a First Information Registration against PPCB officials for failing to comply with CPCB’s August 12 orders. No FIR has been registered till now, they alleged.
