Reiterating the State Government’s firm commitment to enhance quality of urban life and to make ludhiana city and its suburbs pollution-free, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday approved a blueprint to upgrade and add new capacities at Jamalpur, Bhattian and Balloke Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) with an investment of Rs 270 crore.
The decision was taken while reviewing Satluj river cleaning project after meticulously deliberating upon recommendations of the two separate committees constituted to study the problem in a meeting at Chief Minister’s Office.
It may be recalled that the Chief Minister has constituted two committees to study the status of pollutants in Satluj river — one headed by his Principal Secretary SK Sandhu with Punjab Water Supply and Sewage Board (PWSSB) CEO DK Tiwari and Punjab Pollution Control Board chairman Ravinder Singh as its members; and the second comprised PWSSB CEO, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Gurkirat Kirpal Singh and PPCB secretary Babu Ram.
Both the committees were mandated to study the magnitude of pollution and suggest recommendations to tackle it effectively.
Badal gave his nod to connect disposal of municipal sewage at Tibba road to the STP at Bhattian to reduce the pollution levels in Budha Nullah.
Chief Minister also gave approval for the construction of new biogas plant in the dairy cluster of Tajpur area over 2.50 acres to be executed by Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) by making optimum utilization of the cow-dung, which, as of now, was being discharged into the Budha Nullah thereby posing a major health hazard.
likewise, the existing biogas plant at Hebowal dairy complex would be upgraded at a cost of Rs seven crore with capacity expansion to increase the intake of cow-dung from nearby dairies.
He also directed the municipal corporation ludhiana to take necessary steps for decongestion of streets choked with cow-dung and ensure that the dairy waste effluents were discharged into dysfunctional treatment system after making it functional.
Meanwhile, Badal also asked his Principal Secretary to regularly monitor the progress of the ongoing works of STPs on a monthly basis with the officers of all the executing agencies so as to update him accordingly.