6 days Ago
Ludhiana: Activists from Public Awareness Committee (PAC) and Buddha Dariya Action Forum (BDAF) intensified their efforts on Sunday, conducting a detailed analysis of the 3.75 million litres per day (MLD) effluent treatment plant (ETP) at Haibowal Dairy Complex. The inspection confirmed that while the ETP is operational, there are significant concerns about its ability to effectively handle the wastewater.
Specifically, the dairy sludge entering the system is at an exceptionally high ratio, overwhelming the plant’s capacity. The activists claimed that despite the ETP being functional, a disturbing amount of polluted water continues to be discharged into Buddha Dariya through two outlets. This raises serious doubts about the overall efficiency and operational effectiveness of the ETP.
Even after treatment, the water quality remains poor, highlighting the inability of the current system to address the pollution problem effectively. One of the primary issues identified is the improper disposal of dairy waste. Rather than disposing of the sludge to a gas plant or through other effective methods, many dairy owners continue to take the easier route of discharging waste directly into the ETPs.
This is happening at both the Tajpur and Haibowal ETPs. The failure of dairy owners to cooperate and follow established norms has led to the continued malfunctioning of these treatment plants, resulting in the waste of public funds. Furthermore, untreated dairy waste is being discharged directly into various locations, including Buddha Dariya, indicating a significant failure of law enforcement agencies to address this issue.
The inspection team was led by advocate Yogesh Khanna, a prominent environmentalist, who expressed deep concern over the ongoing environmental degradation. He praised the technical functionality of the ETP, but he was shocked by the results, which continue to fail in curbing pollution. He highlighted the alarming pollution levels in Buddha Dariya due to the untreated wastewater from the dairies and industrial units.
Khanna called for urgent and decisive action from law enforcement agencies to tackle the issue and ensure that the regulations are enforced rigorously..
