*Punjab Government spends ₹22 Crore to collect dung from dairy units*
*Contractors directed to deploy more carts to collect dung from dairy units*
Rajya Sabha MP and environmentalist Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, while addressing the 38th meeting on the cleanup campaign of the Buddha Dariya at MC Zone D office on Wednesday, stated that all officials have worked as a team to bring significant improvements in the dariya’s water quality, and positive results are emerging.
Sant Seechewal said that officials who played an active role in cleaning the Budda dariya deserve heartfelt thanks, and strict action will be taken against those who are negligent.
ADC Amit Bamby, MC Joint Commissioner Amanpreet Singh among other senior officials of police, Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board, PPCB, contractor hired for lifting cow dung among others were present in the meeting.
According to Municipal Corporation officials, 3,500 tons of dung were collected from Tajpur from 12 April to 8 June, and 2,500 tons from Hebowal dairies from 16 April to 8 June. In addition, the Municipal Corporation collected 1,000 tons during the same period. Sant Seechewal said that during the meeting, officials reported that a total of 7,500 tons of dung was collected from Tajpur and Hebowal dairies over these 62 days. This means that if each tipper carries 12 tons of dung, 625 tippers’ worth of dung was prevented from entering the Budhe darya.
Sant Seechewal told reporters that the Punjab government has allocated ₹22 crore to collect the dung. CBG plants have been installed at both dairy complexes, which pay the dairy owners for collecting the dung. Contractors have also been instructed to deploy carts for this collection.
MC Joint Commissioner Amanpreet Singh said that dairy owners were repeatedly requested to install flow meters to measure water consumption, but they refused. Similarly, they were asked to install water tanks in the dairies so that motors would not need to be used even to fill glasses, but this request was also ignored.
Despite the drinking water crisis, some dairy owners are ignoring the collection arrangements and using clean water to remove dung, discharging dung and animal urine into the Buddha Dariya. Sant Seechewal said that people in Rajasthan and Malwa are forced to drink water from the Sutlej River, which is being polluted in this way.
He raised the question of the morality of people who pollute the Budda darya with dung and urine, forcing others to consume their waste. He said this is not humane. Even though the government has made all arrangements, some continue to pollute the river and protest against the government.
*Box Item*
According to reports from the Punjab Pollution Control Board, the water quality of the Buddha Dariya is improving significantly. The officials presented reports from January 2026 and April 2026 in the meeting, stating that samples collected near Bhammia Wali Puli showed a TDS of 918 in January, which dropped to 366 in April 2026. Similarly, BOD was 93 in January, falling to 7 in April. COD levels decreased from 312 in January to 32 in April. The biggest change was seen in E. coli samples from the same location: 210,000 in January dropped to just 3,200 in April. The most dangerous component, F. coli, decreased from 94,000 in January to only 1,100 in April 2026. Reports from different parts of the river consistently show significant improvement in the water quality of the Buddha Dariya.
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