Ludhiana: PSPCL severs power to 85 polluting units in past 3 months

Over the past three months, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has disconnected the power supply to 85 polluting units in Ludhiana including 70 dairies and 15 dyeing industries, many of these units contributing to the contamination of Buddha Nullah, officials familiar with the matter said.

According to officials, most of these cases have been reported from the focal point division, a key industrial area of the city. This surge in disconnections followed a visit by Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal.

Confirming this development, Amrinder Singh, XEN Focal Point, said that many of the affected dairies are situated along Tajpur Road near Buddha Nullah. Their power was cut off because they dispose of cow dung and urine into the polluted water body. He pointed out that the focal point division previously used to receive about three to four disconnections requests per week from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) citing environmental violations, a figure that has now risen to eight to ten requests weekly.

A senior PSPCL official said that the power disconnection process is a joint effort between the PPCB and PSPCL. The PPCB identifies violators through inspections and water sample tests, then issues notice to ensure compliance. If the units fail to adhere to environmental norms, the PPCB requests PSPCL to disconnect their power supply.

Once a request is received, PSPCL, in coordination with district authorities and law enforcement, conducts site visits to enforce the disconnection, ensuring that the offending unit ceases operations. Depending on the severity of the violation, these disconnections may be temporary or indefinite, said officials.

However, despite these strict measures and repeated warnings, several units continue to violate pollution control norms where many dairies have been caught discharging untreated waste into drains, while some industrial units operate without proper effluent treatment systems, exacerbating the pollution of Buddha Nullah, official added.