Reiterating the state government's firm commitment to enhance quality of urban life and to make Ludhiana city and its suburbs pollution free, the Punjab Chief Minister today approved a blue print to upgrade and add new capacities at Jamalpur, Bhattian and Balloke STPs with an investment of Rs. 270 crore. This decision was taken by Badal while reviewing the Satluj river cleaning project after meticulously deliberating upon the recommendations of the two separate committees constituted to study the problem in a meeting at Chief Minister's Office this morning. It may be recalled the Chief Minister has constituted two committees to study the status of pollutants in the Satluj river. The first committee was headed by the PSCM Mr. SK Sandhu with CEO PWSSB Mr. Tiwari and Chairman PPCB Mr. Ravinder Singh as its members and the second committee comprised CEO Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) Mr. DK Tiwari, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. Gurkirat Kirpal Singh and Secretary Punjab Pollution Control Board Mr. Babu Ram. Both these committees were mandated to study the magnitude of pollution and suggest recommendations to tackle it effectively.
It was also decided in the meeting to construct a new STP of 70 MLD at Jamalpur with a cost of Rs.90 crore and another at Bhattian of 100 MLD capacity with at a cost of Rs.130 crore. Mr. Badal also gave a go ahead for the upgradation of the existing STP of 48 MLD at Jamalpur, 111 MLD STP at Bhattian besides upgradation of STP having capacity of 152 MLD at Balloke in Ludhiana. The Chief Minister also gave his nod to connect the disposal of municipal sewage at Tibba road to the STP at Bhattian to reduce the pollution levels in Budha Nullah.The Chief Minister also gave approval for the construction of a new biogas plant in the dairy cluster of Tajpur area over 2.50 acres to be executed by PEDA by making optimum utilization of the cow-dung, which, as of now, was being discharged into the Budha Nullah thereby posing a major health hazard. Likewise, the existing biogas plant at Hebowal dairy complex would be upgraded at a cost of Rs. 7 crore with capacity expansion to increase the intake of cow-dung from nearby dairies.
He also directed the municipal corporation Ludhiana to take necessary steps for decongestion of streets choked with cow-dung and ensure that the dairy waste effluents were discharged into dysfunctional treatment system after making it functional. The Chief Minister also asked the concerned authorities to speed up the construction work of CETP (Common Effluents Treatment Plant) near jail in Ludhiana so that the industrial effluents now been discharged into Jamalpur STP and Gandha Nullah at Dharam Kanda Chowk should be treated scientifically to put to use for agriculture.In another major decision, the Chief Minister also approved installation of two new generator sets of 350 KV at a cost of Rs.5.70 crore at Bhattian to make the STP fully operational during period of power disruption. Mr. Badal also directed the state Irrigation department to prepare a comprehensive scheme for the lining of Buddha nullah. He also asked PEDA to utilize the gas being produced at STPs for power generation. He also directed the officers of all the executing agencies to ensure that the tenders for these works were floated by 20th June and work commenced by 1st of October.
The Chief Minister also asked CEO PWSSB Mr. Tiwari to visit and study the modern STPs at Goa in order to replicate the same in the. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also asked his Principal Secretary Mr. SK Sandhu to regularly monitor the progress of the ongoing works of STPs on a monthly basis with the officers of all the executing agencies so as to update him accordingly.Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included; Principal Secretary to CM Mr. SK Sandhu, Special Principal Secretary to CM Mr. Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, Secretary Power Mr. Anirudh Tiwari, Secretary Science & Technology Mrs. Seema Jain, CEO Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) Mr. DK Tiwari, Chairman Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) Mr. Ravinder Singh, Member Secretary PPCB Dr. Babu Ram, Deputy Commissioner Mr. Pardeep Kumar, Additional Commissioner MC Ludhiana Mr. Sumeet and MD PWSSB Mr. Sat Pal Angrula.