7 october 2024 : The Centre and Punjab have agreed to collaborate on finding a lasting solution to the severe pollution affecting Buddha Nullah, a tributary of the Sutlej that flows through Ludhiana. The Union Government will establish a multi-level team comprising experts and officials from both the Centre and the state. This team will visit the highly polluted water body before discussing strategies for cleaning it and preventing future pollution sources.
These decisions were made during a high-level meeting in New Delhi, chaired by Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary of the Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation, on Monday evening. The meeting included all state and field-level officers involved in the ₹840-crore Buddha Nullah rejuvenation project, as well as officials from various Central ministries, departments, and environmental enforcement agencies.
A senior official informed The Tribune that the meeting, which lasted over an hour, reviewed the current progress of the rejuvenation work and discussed potential long-term solutions. Mukherjee urged both Central and state authorities to propose practical and sustainable ways to address the pollution issue affecting the Sutlej tributary.
She also directed the implementation of an online monitoring system for sewage treatment plants and common effluent treatment plants connected to Buddha Nullah. This system will provide real-time data on water quality, flow rates, and equipment status.
A follow-up meeting will take place next month after the expert team conducts a site visit and formulates recommendations.
