Ludhiana: The municipal corporation has officially launched the Buddha Nullah cleanliness drive on Monday, which will continue for the next 15 days with the help of NSS/NCC volunteers from seven colleges of the city.
These volunteers will knock at the doors of people living in the colonies along the banks of the drain and would make them aware that a Rs 5,000 penalty would be imposed for throwing garbage into the drain and if anybody was caught burning garbage near the drain, then the penalty would be between Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000. Moreover, now the civic body authorities are planning to get FIRs registered against offenders. There is a target to make Buddha Nullah garbage free by January 26, 2021.
The students of SCD Government College, Government College for Girls, Kamla Lohtia Sanatan Dharam College, Arya College, Government ITI, SDP College and Government Polytechnic College will take part in this awareness drive. Among these volunteers, girls are also included, so keeping in view their safety, in particular, and of other students also, MC officials have also included cops in every group. In case of any emergency the officials will reach these students in quick time.
One of the officials claimed that some girl volunteers were also in the team and while spreading awareness or knocking at people’s doors, they would have to ensure their safety. So, cops are there in these teams, besides, female MC employees will also remain there for quick response.
Earlier, Punjab food, civil supplies and consumer affairs minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu flagged off the awareness rally from Chand Cinema on Monday. MLAs Rakesh Pandey, Surinder Dawar and Sanjay Talwar, mayor Balkar Sandhu, senior deputy mayor Sham Sunder Malhotra, deputy mayor Sarabjit Kaur, MC commissioner Pardeep Kumar Sabharwal, several councillors, were also present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Ashu said that the work order related to the Rs 650-crore Buddha Nullah rejuvenation project had been released after the completion of the tendering process and chief minister Amarinder Singh would lay the foundation stone of this project next month.
He said that cleaning of around 14-km-long stretch of Buddha Nullah was one of the foremost projects in his priority. He said that this project would start soon and once it got started, no person would be allowed to pollute the Buddha Nullah.
The mayor said that pamphlets regarding the same had also been provided to these students and these would be distributed among the residents. He added that to educate the residents for not disposing solid waste into the nullah, several wall paintings had been prepared along the nullah, but if any person violated it, he would be fined up to Rs 5,000.
Sandhu stated that 24 nodal officers and 63 marshals had been deputed by the MC for this purpose, who would keep round the clock vigil along the Buddha Nullah.