Buddha Dariya stretch begins to breathe, but violations still flow

Ludhiana: A long stretch of Buddha Dariya, from Bhukhari Khurd to Tajpur Road, has begun to breathe again, with the foul smell gone and the once-black waters now clearing. However, violations persist. Some dairy unit owners continue to dump cow dung waste into the drain near Tajpur Road, undoing cleanup efforts.

Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal said despite action being taken, including disconnection of illegal drainage connections and FIRs registered against violators, some continue to exploit loopholes and discharge waste into the Buddha Dariya whenever they get the chance.

Seechewal has now asked the animal husbandry department officials to conduct a survey of these illegal dairy units. These dairy farmers are not only involved in illegally dumping cow dung waste into Buddha Dariya but are also committing cruelty against these animals, he said, adding that they are killing calves and injecting the animals for more milk, and the animals are kept in very poor conditions.

For proper cleaning of the Buddha Dariya, a motorable road has been constructed from Tajpur Road near the MC workshop to Bhukhari Khurd. Earlier, this area was covered with cow dung waste. The TDS (total dissolved solids) levels are being monitored regularly, and on Thursday, it was recorded at just 166 PPM.

According to Seechewal, cow dung remains a major issue along this stretch. A large quantity has already been removed, he said. Heaps of cow dung can still be seen piled up along the corners and banks of the drain, and the removal process is still ongoing.

The cleaning of the Buddha Dariya near the national highway portion at Tibba Road is progressing rapidly. Even after five days since the cleaning work under the bridge began, a large amount of waste has already been removed. Seechewal said this year, people are unlikely to face problems during the rainy season, as the blockage will be completely cleared.

He pointed out that usually, the contractor responsible for building a bridge or flyover is also expected to clear the debris from the site. However, in this case, no one took responsibility. As a result, in previous years, the areas alongside the Buddha Dariya were flooded because rainwater had no way to flow.

Seechewal, along with his supporters, began the second phase of cleaning the Buddha Dariya on Dec 22, 2024. They first focused on stopping the direct discharge of raw wastewater into the Buddha Dariya near Gurudwara Gaughat, where a temporary pumping station was set up to handle untreated waste. After that, they started cleaning the drain from the areas of Bhukhari village and Tajpur Road. Regular meetings are being held to monitor the progress and assess improvements in the cleaning drive.