Participants of a seminar on ‘Industrial Waste and Wastewater Management’ organised by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with FICO
To discuss challenges being faced for managing, reusing and recycling waste and wastewater management in Ludhiana, the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with the Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisation (FICO) organised a seminar, wherein more than 100 industrialists from in and around Ludhiana participated.
Gurmeet Singh Kular, president, FICO and zonal chairman Ludhiana, Punjab State Chapter, urged industrialists in Ludhiana to pay more attention towards the treatment of their waste water and other pollution-related matters. He said the state and Central governments have spent Rs550 crore (S$105 million) in cleaning up operations, but the level of pollution continues to increase. There is a need to ensure that the treatment plants set up by industrial units are operational and untreated waste is not dumped into the Buddha Nullah.
Chief guest Prof Satwinder Singh Marwaha, chairman, Punjab Pollution Control Board, said, “Over a period of time, our focus on environment protection has declined and shift has been towards increase in agriculture production and food security. Technological development is the key for industrial growth and all stakeholders need to work together for environmental protection for giving better future to our younger generation.
Er Sandeep Bahl, senior environmental engineer, Punjab Pollution Control Board, in his address said, “The PPCB has requested industrialists to remove any shortcomings and refurbish their ETPs with proper markings and as per proper design, so that the prescribed standards of treatment could be achieved, also to keep proper records of the operation of their captive treatment plants and monitor the same for proper compliance.”
Vikram Singh Mehta, chairman, Water and Solid Waste Committee, PHD Chamber, said: “The Government of India, state governments and various institutions in the country, including the Planning Commission and the National Institute of Urban Affairs, have brought the requisite knowledge and advocacy to deal with this subject. Currently, waste management one of the pressing issues that the government is dealing with is under its flagship programmes such as the Smart City mission and Swachh Bharat mission. The waste management issue has been taken up through serious involvement of various ministries and institutions.
Eminent speakers addressed participants and proposed solutions towards the improvement of current situation by conducting Water-Wastewater Audit and cleaning of the Buddha Nullah by Korean Nano Bubble Innovative Technology for waste water treatment during the session.
