Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday claimed that the next government in Haryana cannot be formed without the support of his party. Targeting the BJP, he claimed that the entire state wants "badlaav" (change).

Joining AAP's campaign in Jagadhri, Kejriwal said people will oust the BJP in the October 5 state assembly polls. Accompanied by AAP's Haryana unit chief Sushil Gupta, Kejriwal held a road show in the Jagadhri constituency in Yamunanagar district in favour of his party candidate Adarsh Pal. AAP is contesting the Haryana polls on its own. Addressing the crowds during the roadshow, Kejriwal said the entire Haryana wants "badlaav" this time.

"AAP is getting so many seats. I calculated after reaching here. We are getting so many seats that the next government in Haryana cannot be formed without AAP's support. In Haryana, the first seat which we will win is Jagadhri," said Kejriwal.

Among the 15 candidates in the fray from Jagadhri, Adarsh Pal is pitted against BJP's sitting MLA Kanwar Pal Gujjar. Hitting out at ruling BJP in the state, he said, "Wherever you go, you come to know that people don't allow them to enter villages, streets."

He alleged that corruption, unemployment, inflation and drug menace has increased under the BJP rule in Haryana. "What did BJP give you? Corruption, unemployment, inflation and drugs to your children. Nothing else," Kejriwal said.

Punjab CM announces Mission to Clean Buddha Nullah with Global Expertise

Monika Malik/Chandigarh

After years of inaction, it took a massive public uprising in the form of the ‘Kaale Paani da Morcha’ and an alarming report from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for the Punjab Government to finally wake up to the crisis of Buddha Nullah’s pollution. The CPCB's report, which exposed the dangerously toxic levels of contamination in the stream, coupled with mounting public outrage, has now propelled Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to launch a three-phase project to clean the heavily polluted Buddha Nullah in Ludhiana, bringing in the globally renowned Nebula Group to spearhead the effort using advanced nanotechnology.

The initiative is seen as a critical turning point in the fight to revive one of Punjab’s most polluted water bodies, to make its water safe for drinking.

Announcing the plan in Chandigarh on Friday, the Chief Minister laid out the framework for this mission-mode campaign. The overarching goal is to make Buddha Nullah's water safe for drinking by drastically reducing the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) to below 100, a critical improvement over its current dangerous levels. “We are committed to restoring this water body for the benefit of both the environment and public health,” Mann asserted during a meeting with senior officials from the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), and representatives from Nebula Group.

This multi-pronged initiative promises not only to restore the water quality of Buddha Nullah but also to serve as a pilot for future projects aimed at improving water bodies across Punjab, a state battling severe water contamination issues. Mann emphasized that cleaning Buddha Nullah is not merely an environmental challenge but a public health necessity, with pollutants in the water linked to cancer, liver ailments, and other life-threatening diseases.

Nebula Group's Expertise: Nano-Level Solutions for a Macro Problem

The Nebula Group, known for its pioneering Ozonation technology, will be at the forefront of this mission. Their nano-level water treatment processes have been proven effective in removing cancer-causing elements, making them the ideal partner for a project of this magnitude. In the initial stages, their expertise will be used to target both industrial and domestic pollutants, especially those from the dyeing and textile industries, which are among the primary culprits in the pollution of Buddha Nullah. Chief Minister Mann lauded Nebula Group’s technological innovations, describing them as a “game changer” in water treatment. He explained that the group’s Ozonation technology works by breaking down harmful chemicals at the molecular level, ensuring that impurities such as heavy metals and toxins are neutralized before they can spread further into the water system. “The partnership with Nebula Group is a matter of pride, as their advanced methods will not only clean Buddha Nullah but also set a new standard for water treatment in India,” Mann said.

A Comprehensive Three-Phase Plan

The Mission will be rolled out in three distinct phases, each focusing on different aspects of the water pollution crisis. The first phase (Phase I) will begin with the installation of ultrasonic water metering systems across Ludhiana’s sewage network. This will help authorities analyze sewage flow and identify major discharge points contributing to pollution in Buddha Nullah. Alongside, software modeling will be employed to track water contamination patterns, allowing for more targeted interventions.

In this phase, particular attention will be paid to pre-treatment plants in Ludhiana’s dyeing industry. More than 200 industrial units discharge around 95 million liters per day (MLD) of waste into Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs). Many of these plants lack adequate filtration systems, allowing harmful chemicals such as chromium and lead to enter Buddha Nullah. By upgrading these plants and ensuring that waste is pre-treated before it reaches the CETPs, Phase I aims to significantly reduce the industrial pollution load.

Phase II will address the sewage system directly. The focus here will be on identifying and treating problematic discharge points, particularly those that are not connected to any existing sewage treatment infrastructure. Smaller-scale effluent treatment systems will be installed in key areas to improve the overall quality of sewage before it enters Buddha Nullah. This phase will also involve public awareness campaigns to ensure that residents and industries adhere to new pollution control measures.

In the final phase, the focus will shift to the physical structure of Buddha Nullah itself. Plans include designing and implementing a lining for the water body to prevent future contamination from seeping in. This will be followed by a long-term maintenance plan, with Nebula Group providing oversight and technical support to ensure that the progress made in the first two phases is sustained.

The Environmental Impact: Decades of Neglect

Buddha Nullah, a 34-kilometer-long stream, has long symbolized the water pollution crisis in Punjab. Originating from Koom Kalan village in Ludhiana and flowing into the Sutlej River, it carries a toxic cocktail of industrial effluents and untreated sewage. According to recent reports by CPCB, the water in Buddha Nullah exceeds permissible limits for Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) — all indicators of dangerously high pollution levels. A report submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in August 2024 revealed that water quality in the Sutlej River, downstream of Buddha Nullah, had deteriorated further between 2022 and 2024. The CPCB confirmed that the Sutlej, an essential source of drinking water for both Punjab and neighbouring Rajasthan, was now unfit even for irrigation, let alone human consumption. The NGT had previously criticized Punjab Government for its inaction in addressing these alarming pollution levels, which have persisted despite multiple court orders and environmental campaigns.

Public Outrage and Civil Society Action

In parallel to the government's new initiative, public anger over Buddha Nullah’s pollution has been growing. Environmental activists, along with civil society groups and farmer unions, recently launched the ‘Kale Pani da Morcha’ (War Against Black Water) — a mass movement aimed at pressuring the government into taking decisive action. On September 15 (Sunday), activists gave an ultimatum to the Punjab Government, threatening to block the flow of industrial effluents into Buddha Nullah if the pollution crisis was not addressed immediately.

Holding placards with slogans such as “Clean water for wool dyeing, toxic water for drinking,” protesters highlighted the stark contrast between the water quality used by industries and the poisoned water available to residents.

This is not the first major environmental protest in Punjab. Over the past two and a half years, the state has witnessed two other large-scale movements — one against the Rs 1,000-crore Mattewara Textile Park project and another against an alcohol factory in Ferozepur. Both protests resulted in significant pushback against the government, with the Mattewara project ultimately being shelved due to public pressure.

BOX:  Three-Phase Plan to Clean Buddha Nullah

Phase I:          - Install ultrasonic water metering systems

                        - Analyze sewage network using advanced software 

- Identify discharge points and set up pre-treatment plants, focusing on dyeing units 

- Address 95 MLD of waste discharge into CETPs

Phase II:         - Identify problematic discharge areas

- Install small-scale effluent treatment systems to improve sewage quality

Phase III:       - Design and implement lining of Buddha Nullah

- Reduce further pollution through long-term solutions