A report prepared by the Punjab government on the Buddha Nullah in Ludhiana has recommended that no new industry having inefficient sewerage treatment plant (STP) be allowed to come up within 15 kms of the nullah. The report,which was submitted by Harjit Singh Kandhola,Additional Secretary,Department of Science and Technology Environment and Non-Conventional Energy,also asked the regulatory authorities to ensure zero liquid discharge in the nullah. Meanwhile,a separate report by Dr D D Basu,Senior Scientist,Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB),Delhi,was submitted in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The scientist has recommended that in order to improve the water quality,the operation of the STP has to be optimised for reducing pollution. No industry should be permitted to discharge untreated/partially treated effluent in the nallah. The flow and water quality data of Satluj river and Buddha Nullah indicates that any addition will deteriorate the water quality downstream. Minimum flow is required to be maintained in Satluj river throughout the year to enable adequate dilution of treated effluent discharge from Buddha Nullah, reads the report of Dr Basu. In an earlier report submitted by the National Environment Engineering and Research Institute,Nagpur (NEERI),it was recommended that the STP be upgraded. The report had concluded that the nullah has no assimilative capacity to sustain any waste discharge. Meanwhile,A R Takkar,counsel for Punjab Pollution Control Board submitted on Friday that all the cases of industries not cooperating with the Board will come up for hearing in the High Court on August 4. The court had questioned the Punjab government and the Board as to why they failed to take action against the industries which discharge waste in the Buddha Nullah.
