CETP projects in Ludhiana: PPCB member secretary to appear before NGT on April 13

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) member secretary Karunesh Garg to appear before the court on April 13.

The directions have been given following a petition filed by Punjab Dyers Association (PDA) against failure of the state and Union governments in issuing grants for construction of two common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) for Tajpur Road and Focal Point dyeing industry.

PDA general secretary Bobby Jindal said PPCB had fixed deadlines for completion of the projects. “It was said that environmental compensation will be imposed on respective special purpose vehicles (SPVs) if the deadline was not met. However, the state government has failed to issue ₹6 crore grant for the projects due to which we are also unable to get ₹12 crore grant from the Union government,” he said.

Last week, the dyers’ body had filed a petition against the same with the NGT, following which the court heard the case on urgent basis on Wednesday. Started in 2014, the projects came to halt in 2016 as the governments failed to issue grants to the dyers’ association. The projects were restarted in 2018 but the PDA has still not received any grants.

The initiatives are being taken up in the city to stop the dumping of industrial waste by dyeing units into municipal corporation’s sewer lines, through which the waste gets into Buddha Nullah.