Patiala, April 3: Armed with a High Court directive, Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has decided to close all the units in Ludhiana emptying effluents in Buddha Nallah. A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary yesterday.
However, Punjab government has granted a two-month reprieve to polluting electroplating units in the city, so that a common Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) can be set up for them.
PPCB, sources say, will be conducting inspections of bigger units to ensure that there is no further discharge of effluents into the nallah.
Units not conforming to Board norms may face immediate closure.
Meanwhile, the Board has decided to strictly enforce water and air pollution norms. Sources said industrial units not having proper facilities for treatment of air and water pollutants will not be allowed to function.
The effluent treatment plant for smaller polluting units is likely to be made functional by May 31.
The Board, they say, has decided to act tough with the units following stern recommendations of the High Court-constituted P Ram committee, set up to check further pollution of Buddha Nallah.
