Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu’s relentless efforts lead to action on Buddha Nullah pollution
Babushahi Bureau
Ludhiana, September 29, 2024: Sustained efforts of the Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Satnam Singh Sandhu to raise the critical pollution issues of Ludhiana’s Buddha Nullah, which have failed to find a solution for over 28 years, are paying off with Punjab Governor and Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh, Gulab Chand Kataria taking cognizance of the matter and seeking an Action Taken Report on the Buddha Nullah pollution issue from the Punjab government.
The Punjab Governor directive to the State Government comes days after the Rajya Sabha Member, Sandhu sought Kataria’s intervention for preventing the contamination of Sutlej river water in Punjab and Rajasthan from toxic industrial and domestic waste discharged into a tributary of the river, Buddha Nullah which is 48-kilometre-long water body in Ludhiana.
Besides personally apprising the Punjab Governor about various pertinent issues concerning Buddha Nullah and requesting for requisite measures to address the same during his courtesy visit to the Punjab Bhavan on 10 August, Sandhu had followed it up with a letter written to Kataria on 5 September requesting for the Punjab Governor’s intervention for time-bound completion of the rejuvenation project to prevent the pollution of river Sutlej caused by the discharges of polluted Buddha Nullah waters.
Sandhu, who hails from Punjab and is Chancellor of Chandigarh University, has been vigorously raising the issue of Buddha Nullah inside and outside the Parliament ever since he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President in January this year.
Buddha Nullah Issue Raised Strongly in Parliament during Monsoon Session
The first-time Member of Parliament had strongly raised the issue during the previous Monsoon Session of the Parliament. Raising the issue of ‘pollution of Sutlej’, in the Rajya Sabha on 22 July during the Monsoon Session, Sandhu had sought details from Union Jal Shakti Ministry of steps taken by Union Government to remove/reduce pollution levels of Sutlej River with the discharge of treated waters from Buddha Nullah and whether the government has carried out any impact assessment on the cancerous nature of Buddha Nullah along its basin or not.
Responding to Sandhu’s question, the Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Raj Bhushan Choudhary had informed River Sutlej gets polluted with the discharge of Buddha Nallah, carrying municipal, industrial, dairy and other wastes from Ludhiana town.
“To address the pollution concerns, the State Government of Punjab has undertaken Buddha Nullah Rejuvenation project with the financial assistance from Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under the scheme of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation,” he had informed.
In his reply on the steps being taken to check the pollution in Buddha Nullah, the Union Minister Choudhary had informed that in order to prevent and control of industrial discharge from clusters of small/medium scale dyeing industries in Ludhiana, Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) of capacity 40 MLD, 50 MLD & 15 MLD, have been made operational.
Choudhary informed for electroplating units, another CETP of 0.5 MLD is operational and thus ensuring no discharge of untreated industrial waste into Buddha Nallah.He said for mitigating pollution due to solid wastes from the dairy complexes, Punjab Energy Development Agency has taken up the project of Bio-gas plant of 300 tonnes per day at Tajpur Dairy Complex.
The Minister said in addition, 200 cusecs fresh canal water is discharged from Sirhind Canal into Buddha Nallah to check its pollution levels.
The Member of Parliament again raised this issue in Rajya Sabha during ‘Zero Hour’ on 8 August by highlighting degradation of water bodies in Punjab due to discharge of chemical waste products from industrial processes into them and seeking steps to check high level of pollution in the Buddha Nullah in Ludhiana.
“We need to tackle the issue of effluents from the Dairy and Dyeing industry flowing directly into Buddha Nullah. These effluents directly affect humans and cattle in the state. Due to similar degradation of water bodies in the state, the number of migratory birds is decreasing significantly,” Sandhu said in Rajya Sabha linking the issue of the declining number of migratory birds and the degradation of water bodies in Punjab.
Took the Issue of Pollution of Buddha Nullah with 3 Union Ministries -- Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Union Jal Shakti Ministry
The Member of Parliament, who belongs to a farming family in Punjab and is well versed with the need of conserving water bodies in the state, followed the issue further by writing detailed letters to the three concerned Union Ministries for the prevention of Pollution of Sutlej River by the discharge from Buddha Nullah.
Sandhu requested Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate for finding out a solution to prevent the further degradation of the quality of water of River Sutlej, Union Ministry of Jal Shakti for time-bound completion of the Buddha Nullah Rejuvenation Project and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for controlling health hazards emanating from Buddha Nullah and look into burgeoning cases of deadly diseases.
Letter to Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav
In a letter addressed to Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on 2 September, Sandhu requested for the Union Minister’s urgent intervention for identifying the problem, finding out a solution to it and implementing the same to prevent the further degradation of the quality of water of River Sutlej.
Sandhu, a leading educationist in the country, requested the Union minister to direct the Central Pollution Control Board or any other regulatory agency of the State or the Union government to conduct a comprehensive site audit of industries as well as treatment systems used for the treatment of sewage waste or the industrial wastewater discharged into Buddha Nullah.
Sandhu said the respective Regulatory agency should also verify the efficacy of the treatment systems being setup or set up under the rejuvenation project, with financial assistance from the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, to make Buddha Nullah pollution-free.
He said pollutants entering into these treatment systems and treated wastewater discharged in 12 months should also be assessed for the simulation of treatment efficacy.
In the letter, the MP also requested the Union minister to set up a high-level empowered committee to look into the gaps in the Buddha Nullah rejuvenation project and suggest the way to fill in those gaps for making Buddha Nallah pollution-free and protecting the quality of waters of the Sutlej river.
“I humbly request you to send the issue to the Parliamentary Committee on Science, Technology & Environment, Forest and Climate Change to take up the issue for study and make a field visit to the River and work towards a permanent solution to the problem of pollution of River Sutlej,” Sandhu said in the letter to Union Minister Yadav.
Letter to Union Health Minister JP Nadda
In a letter to Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare on 2 September, Sandhu stressed the need of controlling health hazards emanating from Buddha Nullah and look into burgeoning cases of deadly diseases.
Drawing the Nadda’s attention to the issue, in this letter Sandhu requested Nadda to depute a team of experts to visit the site to vet the problem and find out a solution.
Sandhu also sought the Union Minister’s direction to the national institutions like PGIMER Chandigarh and AIIMS New Delhi to assess the health hazards being caused and number of the people affected by the use of Sutlej River water contaminated by discharges of polluted Buddha Nullah for drinking purposes.
Requesting the Union minister to suggest the solution as well as develop a system to treat the patients impacted by the polluted wastewater and come up with a comprehensive mitigation strategy, Sandhu also requested Nadda to set up a high-level empowered committee of experts including the medical fraternity as well as public health experts to identify the gaps in the project and the progress made.
Letter to Union Jal Shakti, CR Paatil
In another letter to CR Paatil, Union Minister, Ministry of Jal Shakti on 2 September, Sandhu requested for time-bound completion of the Rejuvenation project to prevent the pollution of River Sutlej caused by the discharges of polluted Buddha Nullah waters.
“Some gaps in the project for the rejuvenation of Buddha Nullah have been observed which need to be identified and plugged. The intervention of the Jal Sakti Ministry to take up the issues related to the Buddha Nullah rejuvenation project to make the Sutlej River pollution-free,” the Rajya Sabha MP said in the letter.
He requested Paatil to direct the Central regulatory agencies like the CPCB to do the survey of River Sutlej from its entry point in Himachal Pradesh and passing through Punjab and Rajasthan for the sitess where the polluted water is discharged into the Sutlej river.
Sandhu also sought direction to the Central regulatory agency to identify the water bodies other than Buddha Nullah and the sites where their convergence and discharges of polluted waters into River Sutlej are taking place.
He said the concerned department should be directed for immediate one-time de-slugging of Buddha Nullah up to 4-5 feet throughout its stretch of 14 kilometers in Ludhiana.
The MP also requested the Union minister to direct a regulatory agency to verify the efficacy of the treatment system put up and made operation under the rejuvenation project to make Buddha Nullah pollution-free.
Member Parliament Sandhu apprised Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar regrading with submission of Fact Findsing Report on Concerns of Pollution in Buddha Nullah
In a letter to Vice President, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Sandhu presented a fact finding report on pollution in Buddha Nullah.
He said the major sources of pollution of Buddha Nullah throughout its stretch are domestic sewage, industrial discharges/effluents primarily from Textile & Dying, Electroplating, Dairy industry, etc. Also, the Domestic discharges of Villages (falling into the catchment of Buddha Nullah) and Ludhiana City (which has expanded on both sides of the total stretch of Buddha Nullah).
Sandhu informed the Punjab government while taking note of the pollution being caused by Buddha Nullah, has formulated and implemented a Rejuvenation project at a cost of Rs. 650 Cr which has been increased to Rs 840Cr.
Presenting photographs a proof, Sandhu said it was believed that all the STPs have been established/rehabilitated and are working effectively but there is still a room for improvisation and more efforts need to be dedicated towards this.
He informed the biological oxygen demand (BOD) levels in the treated waste water using newly established STPs/rehabilitated STPs has been reported to be 35-40mg/l which is almost double the statutory requirements.
“There are reports that at the convergence points of Buddha Nullah into Sutlej River BOD varies between 80-100 mg/l which is 4 to 5 times more than the statutory requirement, which strengthens the point that the self-purification capability of the sludge is completely lost means sludge is dead,” Sandhu said.
The status of Buddha Nullah is not that great after setting up and operationalization of STP and CETP's under the rejuvenation project. BOD is reduced to 35-40 mg/ lt which is almost double the permissible standards, he said.BOD recorded at the convergence of Buddha Nullah into Sutlej River is 85 mg/lt and more, more than 4 times the permissible limits.
Moreover, it conforms that sludge throughout the length of Buddha Nullah is dead means have lost its self-purification capability. To revive that, one-time deluding is required and SOP needs to be developed to repeat this process on a specified time schedule.
The light-colored effluent is of Budha Nullah and the dark one is of 55 mld disposal of MCL. Similarly, the yellow colour of Budha Nullah is due to dairy waste in it.Moreover, the construction/commissioning of other components for making the Buddha Nullah pollution free also need to be considered.
Sandhu said as per the information available, there are certain hiccups for making the arrangements for the treatment of dairy units situated outside the Municipal limit as the construction of IPS at Gaughat disposal is stopped due to certain legal issues.
Till the legal issue is resolved the rejuvenation project cannot be completed and thus the pollution in Buddha Nullah would continue as an eye sore, he added.
The Rajya Sabha MP informed the people of Malwa districts in Punjab and Rajasthan are drinking water from the Sutlej River which is polluted by the discharges from Buddha Nullah, which carry chemical wastes untreated factories wastes, sewage, metals, and microbes. Some of these pollutants are carcinogens which cause cancer. Besides Cancer, kidney diseases, Hepatitis, loss of eyesight, gastroenteritis, and Skin disease are of major concern.
He said traces of chromium and arsenic can be found in the Sutlej after confluence of Buddha Nullah.
Apart from sewerage water, Industrial units like dyeing units, electroplating, hosiery, steel rolling mills are the major sources of polluting the Buddha Nullah. Toxic untreated industrial effluents from 228 dyeing units and 16 outlets that directly release sewage and industrial waste make way into the Nullah.
Buddha Nullah and East Bein (a rivulet in Doaba in Punjab) are two major sources of water that have constantly been discharging untreated wastewater into the Sutlej.
As per surveys, Buddha Nullah on average contributes around 16,672 kilograms a day of biological oxygen demand (BOD) load and East Bein contributes about 20,900 kg per day of BOD load, Sandhu informed.
“It is surprising that there is no information/data available in the public domain w.r.t. the instances of cancer in the districts of Malwa region and Rajasthan,” he added while stressing the gravity of the situation.
To address the problem, Sandhu demanded a study to find out the impact of such discharges on the health of the people of districts of Malwa belt of Punjab and Rajasthan to work out prevention of such diseases in these areas.
He also sought for work for regular time-bound desludging of Buddha Nullah and ensuring fencing of Buddha Nullah to prevent people from throwing garbage or animal carcasses into the water body.
Sandhu also sought a high-level committee to look into Buddha Nullah’s rejuvenation project and its progress made.
“The Central Pollution Control Board should take cognizance of the issue, constitute a study group, and work towards cleaning the river at a fast rate and the Parliamentary Committee on Water Resources should take up the issue for study, make a field visit to the river, and work towards solution of the issue,” the Rajya Sabha member said in the letter.
Meeting with Punjab Governor
Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Satnam Singh Sandhu called on then newly appointed Punjab Governor and Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh, Gulab Chand Kataria on 10 August to specifically highlight the issue of rising pollution level in Buddha Nullah and request him to take requisite measure to address the same
.The Governor had taken due note of these issues and assured the MP that all requisite measures would be put in place to address them on priority.Sandhu had informed Kataria that one of the prime reasons for the pollution in Sutlej river is Buddha Nullah which is a tributary of the river.
Sandhu had informed that fertile fields are turning barren due to river water pollution by industries.
He said farmers in many areas of the state are now have been unable to grow crops due to their agricultural land losing fertility due to pollution of the river water by untreated industrial waste, mainly from the textile industry.He had apprised the Governor that fish varieties are perishing due to low oxygen level and contaminated water in water bodies and rivers.
Impact: Punjab Govt Steps In
Coinciding with Rajya Sabha MP’s relentless efforts to raise the issue of pollution in Buddha Nullah, Punjab government recently announced a three-phase, multi-pronged programme to clean Ludhiana’s Buddha Nullah in collaboration with the Nebula Group.
Phase one of the project will involve the installation of ultrasonic water metering systems and software modelling for analyzing the sewage network to identify sampling points across Ludhiana.
It will also focus on identifying and installing pre-treatment plants for the dyeing industry, which discharges about 95 million liters a day into common effluent treatment plants.
This step will help reduce pollution.
Phase two will focus on identifying problematic discharge points and installing small-scale effluent treatment systems to improve sewage quality. Phase three will emphasize the design and implementation of lining the Buddha Nullah. Nebula and the state government agreed to work together on the implementation, maintenance, and operation of all three phases and the treatment systems installed across Ludhiana.
Failed Attempts to Clean Buddha Nullah
Over the past 28 years, successive governments have implemented unsuccessful initiatives to clean the 48-kilometer-long water body in Ludhiana. Once called Buddha Dariya and known for its clean water, the stream has deteriorated into a nullah due to the city’s dumping of domestic and industrial waste.
Time Line
1996: Three sewage treatment plants (STPs) were established as part of the Satluj Action Plan.2009: The National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) investigated zero-discharge technology.
- 2010: The UPA-II government initiated a bioremediation project, constructing five green bridges using bacteria to purify the water.
- 2019: Ludhiana Municipal Corporation submitted a report to the National Green Tribunal outlining plans to upgrade STPs by 2021.
- 2009: The Ludhiana administration prohibited the disposal of waste into the nullah.
- 2020: The Punjab government approved a Rs 650 crore project to clean the nullah.
- 2021: The foundation stone for the Buddha Dariya rejuvenation project was laid, with an estimated cost of Rs 650 crore under the AMRUT and Smart City Mission schemes.
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- 2022: Testing for new STPs commenced.
- 2022: The Punjab Assembly established a panel for the rejuvenation of the polluted stream.
- 2023: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann inaugurated a new 225 MLD STP.
About Buddha Nullah
Buddha Nullah, a natural water stream is a tributary of River Sutlej. It originates from Koom Kalan and after passing through the City of Ludhiana, it finally falls into river Sutlej at Village Walipur of District Ludhiana. The total length of the stretch of Buddha Nullah is 47.55 KM, out of which 14 Km passes through Ludhiana city and is of concern for pollution of water of Sutlej River and ground water.
The residential colonies and industries have grown on both the banks of Buddha Nullah throughout its length of 14 KM. The major sources of pollution of Buddha Nullah throughout its stretch are domestic sewage, industrial discharges/effluents primarily from Textile & Dying, Electroplating, Dairy industry, etc. Also, the Domestic discharges of Villages (falling into the catchment of Buddha Nullah) and Ludhiana City (which has expanded on both sides of the total stretch of Buddha Nullah).
Ludhiana city, which was called Manchester of India till mid-90s, is now amongst the most polluted cities of the world, because of the pollution of water Sutlej river and groundwater by the water flowing through Buddha Nullah.