Monitoring Committee report on carcass disposal site at Hadda Roddi, Ladhowal, Ludhiana, Punjab, 14/02/2020
Report of the Monitoring Committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal order in O.A. No. 916 of 2018 in the matter of Sobha Singh & Others Vs State of Punjab & Others in the matter of compliance of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and O.A. No. 465 of 2019 in the matter of Kulwinder Singh Sandhu & Others Vs Ram Muruti & Others.
The NGT in its order of October 10, 2019 had directed for the constitution of a monitoring committee constituted for controlling pollution of river Sutlej. The committee would be headed by Justice Jasbir Singh, former Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to monitor the situation and also would look into the conduct of the officers of the State PCB in not taking requisite action so far.
The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) filed its report on September 15, 2019 on the unscientific and illegal activities on the land belonging to government land. Joint inspection report indicated that higher values of organic parameter (BOD, COD, TSS and oil and grease) and physical condition at site indicated the discharge of untreated effluent from Hadda Roddi sites near Ladhowal, Ludhiana cannot be rules out to reach to river Sutlej during rain and excess discharge of effluent.
The PPCB in its report of January 14, 2020 mentioned that notice was issued for recovery of compensation amounting to Rs. 2,28,12,000/- from each of the Hadda Roddi units. Further, in the report it was mentioned that the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana had proposed to install modern and scientific carcass utilization plant at village Noorpur Bet, Hambran Road, Ludhiana. The state pollution control board had also requested the Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana to shift the Hadda Roddi to some suitable location in accordance with law.
As far back as 2012, the SPCB had requested the Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana to get the Hadda Roddi closed or shifted as per law to some suitable locations as the public complaint against the pollution caused by the Hadda Roddi had been received. The Punjab Pollution Control Board had also asked the Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd., Ludhiana to disconnect the electric supply available to the industries.
The committee informed the tribunal, that the Punjab Pollution Control Board had made efforts to shift/close the unscientific carcass disposal site at village Ladhowal, District Ludhiana.
The Monitoring Committee visited the carcass disposal site at village Ladhowal on February 13, 2020. The committee observed that around 40-50 dead animals per day are collected from Ludhiana and its surrounding areas at Hadda Roddi. Operating in about 5.5 acres of land , the dead animals are deskinned and the various parts of the dead animals are cut into pieces to segregate bones,skins, fleshings and other leftover material like animal dung and intestine material. All these activities are carried out manually.
The skins, bones and intestine are sold in the market for further processing by the other manufacturing units. During the processing of dead animals for deskinning and cutting of various parts of the dead animal, lot of obnoxious odour is generated alongwith generation of animal dung and wastewater. Some cut pieces/parts of dead animals are washed in a plastic container and the wastewater in the form of ponds was found stagnating along river Sutlej, which may lead to river Sutlej in case of excess discharge or during rains. Also, animal dung and waste fleshings were found dumped at site in an open area, which also contributed to foul smell and other problems.
The Monitoring Committee also held discussions with the owners of the carcass disposal plants and it was informed that they have no option but to process the dead animals at the present location because the new, modern and scientific carcass disposal plant to be provided at Noorpur Bet, Ludhiana by Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana has not been completed and commissioned so far.
The committee was of the view that these activities at the present locations need to be closed down keeping in view their environmental threat right on the bank of river Sutlej. Further, the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana should complete and commission the modern and scientific carcass disposal plant immediately for which the Punjab Pollution Control Board had already granted NOC under the provisions of Water Act 1974 and Air Act 1981.
The monitoring committee recommended that if the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana fail to commission the scientific carcass disposal plant at Noorpur Bet by August 31, 2020, environmental compensation amounting to Rs. 1 lakh per month should be imposed upon the corporation till the commissioning of the plant.
Note: The report of the Monitoring Committee dated February 14, 2020 was made public on May 10, 2020.