River warriors invite guv to check Buddha Dariya

Ludhiana: Activists from the Kale Pani Da Morcha met Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Tuesday in Chandigarh, seeking intervention to make Buddha Dariya pollution-free. They requested the governor to visit the river, sewage treatment plants, and common effluent treatment plants to assess the situation firsthand.
The activists claimed the governor had assured them that he would discuss the issue with chief minister Bhagwant Mann in an upcoming meeting.
In a memorandum presented to the governor, the activists highlighted that Kale Pani Da Morcha consists of a coalition of activists and numerous NGOs dedicated to reversing toxic pollution in Punjab's rivers. They noted that the Buddha Dariya was among the most polluted rivers of north India despite being a direct drinking water source for many districts in Punjab and Rajasthan.
The memorandum details numerous illegal effluent dumping points operated by industries, urban local bodies, and dairies that discharge toxic waste into the river. Despite the mandatory conditions set forth by the Environment Clearance and Water Act of 1974, authorities have failed to intervene effectively.
Dspite provisions of the Water Act and directives from the Supreme Court for zero liquid discharge, three common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) in Ludhiana operate illegally and continue to dump effluent into the channel. The group wants these polluting industries be shut down until they comply with legal requirements.
It invited the goveror to the CETPs near Central Jail on Tajpur Road to witness how about 9-crore litres of effluent is discharged daily into the Dariya with apparent complicity from Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) officials. The activists also invited him to visit village Walipur to observe firsthand how Buddha Dariya merges with the Sutlej River, exacerbating health issues such as cancer and skin diseases among residents and endangering aquatic life.