Adopting hi-tech ways, the Punjab Government will soon turn its stinking drains, passing across the major cities, into green belts. For the purpose, the State Government has signed a memorandum of understanding(MoU) with the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) on Thursday.
“The problem of nallahs (drains) flowing in major cities of the State would be tackled in an effective way and these nallahs will be turned into green belts,” said the State local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on the occasion of inking of an MoU, signed by the Principal Secretary (local Government Department) A Venu Prasad and NEERI scientist and head Dr SK Goyal.
Terming the pathetic condition of the drains as alarming situation for Punjab, Sidhu said that nallahs were covered at places and shops were made on that preventing the de-siliting as well. “Nallahs in Punjab had become the dumping grounds for the industrial waste, building material and dead animals, completely making the place an eyesore and toxic. This needed to stop and solution was needed which has been found now,” he said.
Sidhu said that this project to clean the drains will be launched in a phased manner from March this year in various cities including Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala and Budha Nallah of ludhiana.
He also examined a detailed presentation by the NEERI team.
Sidhu added that once these projects are completed, these drains, that are eyesores and give pungent smells now, will turn into lungs of the cities.
“This technology by NEERI would see plantation being done in the nallahs and water will be cleaned by using advanced technology. Moreover, the water treated through this technology will be fit for gardening, flushing and even irrigation,” he said.
The cost of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) upgradation and maintenance would be one-fourth of that of the upgradation to SBR technology, he said expressing a strong hope that things would change for the better in around two years after the formalities are completed.