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Ludhiana: Putting a long-pending project back on track to curb environmental damage, the local authorities have ordered a new effluent treatment plant for the city’s scattered dyeing units, aiming to prevent industrial waste from polluting local waterways. Deputy commissioner Jitendra Jorwal has instructed the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) to locate land for a common effluent treatment plant (CETP) to cater to these scattered dyeing units in Transport Nagar. The move aims to address long-standing concerns about industrial waste from these units contaminating municipal sewer lines and, eventually, the Buddha Dariya, which empties into the Satluj, which is one of the five rivers that identify Punjab.
In a meeting on Wednesday, Jorwal emphasidsed the urgency of identifying a 1-to-2-acre site for the plant. Accompanied by municipal commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal and additional DC Amarjit Bains, Jorwal directed LIT’s officials to conduct a survey and submit a detailed report, along with relevant land documentation, to expedite the process. The CETP will adhere to zero liquid discharge (ZLD) principles, ensuring wastewater is treated without harmful discharge.
The project will also comply with regulations set by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) and the Central Pollution Control Board. To oversee its development and operation, an oversight committee comprising members of the MC, PPCB, and other departments will be formed. However, an LIT official, speaking anonymously, expressed uncertainty about the availability of suitable land in Transport Nagar.
The officials claimed that proposals would need govt approval, including decisions on whether the land would be provided free or at a cost to the owners of dyeing units. Confronted, LIT chairman Tarsem Bhinder stated that: “If the govt or deputy commissioner requests for land, we will check availability in Transport Nagar.” Currently, Ludhiana has three operational CETPs: two on Tajpur Road — serving industries in Focal Point and Tajpur Road — and one on Bahadur Ke Road for dyeing units.
Scattered dyeing units, however, lack infrastructure for wastewater treatment. The PPCB has warned these units repeatedly to cease discharging industrial waste into sewer lines but has also faced demands from their owners for dedicated CETP infrastructure. Last month, municipal commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal held a final hearing for the owners of 33 dyeing units in Industrial Area-A and other scattered locations, reinforcing the PPCB's directive to stop dumping treated or untreated waste into civic sewer lines.
With mounting pressure from both authorities and industry, the establishment of a new CETP could provide a long-overdue solution for balancing industrial growth with environmental sustainability..
