Ludhiana, Nov 29— Fifteen dairy owners from the Tajpur Road Dairy Complex have been booked after Division Number 7 police registered a set of FIRs this week for allegedly dumping cow dung and wastewater into Buddha Nullah despite repeated government directions to stop the discharge.
Police acted on a complaint from the municipal corporation’s wastewater wing, whose officers said several units were caught releasing waste directly into the drain and even manhandled staff issuing challans. “Our teams were obstructed while trying to stop the illegal discharge,” an MC official said.
Officials noted that the issue has dragged on for years, with the MC cutting illegal pipelines and issuing notices, but the pollution continues to foul the water body and trigger complaints from residents. Buddha Nullah has remained heavily contaminated despite crores spent on cleanup plans.
Dairy owners, however, say the corporation is at fault. “The MC does not act on time. Cow dung lies for days, creating unbearable smell and attracting flies,” dairy operator Satwinder Singh said. He added that even after paying charges, “the lifting of dung is irregular,” leaving owners to deal with waste that eventually flows toward the Nullah.
The primary FIR names Bittu Bhatia, Surjit Singh, Thredum, Harpal, Manu Dairy, Vasudev Dairy, Ved Prakash Dairy, Nikka Dairy, Vicky Dairy, Raja Dairy, Tajinder Dairy, Rakesh Kumar Dairy and Bittu & Shalu Dairy, among others. Another FIR accuses two operators of assaulting MC staff during a challan check. A third case targets unidentified persons who allegedly reopened sealed outlet points after a protest on November 22.
All cases have been filed under Section 279 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and sections of the NIC & Dairy Act. Police said more names may be added as the investigation progresses.
