LUDHIANA: The Budha
Nullah Action Front started an awareness drive on Saturday to save the polluted drain. The
NGO members, led by Col CM Lakhanpal, interacted with
residents in Aarti Chowk and encouraged them to come forward to save the nullah. The members were holding placards in their hands seeking rejuvenation of Buddha Nullah, which is at the peak of pollution levels.
Lakhanpal said: “The government alone cannot clean the nullah, and support of residents is necessary. Everyone should join hands to save it. Getting pictures clicked with the polluted river will not serve any purpose until and unless every citizen understands his/her duty in preserving our natural resources. It is unfortunate that ‘Buddha Dariya’ has turned into ‘Budha Nullah’. Now people living around the nullah are suffering from serious health problems. Despite being aware of the fact that industrial and household wastes are flowing into the nullah, citizens paid no heed to save the water body.”
Residents living around the drain are not just suffering from diseases, but they have also witnessed the deaths of their loved ones. The NGO members have plans to scale up the protest in the coming days, but they also want to see the results of the state government’s plan for the nullah’s rejuvenation.