Jantapost at 05:37, 10 February 2026

2026-02-10T05:37:50Z

New page

{{Short description|Stream in India}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
[[File:Flow of the Buddha Nullah through Ludhiana city, Survey of India geographical block-map for 44 N NE Jullundur (1921) (cropped).jpg|thumb|Flow of the Buddha Nullah through Ludhiana city, Survey of India geographical block-map for 44 N NE Jullundur (1921)]]
'''Buddha Nullah''' or '''Buddha Nala''' ({{langx|pa|ਬੁੱਢਾ ਨਾਲ਼ਾ}}) is a seasonal water stream or [[nullah]], which runs through the [[Malwa (Punjab)|Malwa]] region of [[Punjab, India]], and after passing through highly populated [[Ludhiana district]], [[Punjab, India]], it drains into [[Sutlej River]], a tributary of the [[Indus River]]. Today, it has also become a major source of pollution in the region as well the main Sutlej river, as it gets polluted after entering the highly populated and industrialized [[Ludhiana|Ludhiana city]], turning it into an open drain. Also, since large area in south-western Punjab solely depend on the canal water for irrigation, and water from Buddha Nullah enters various canals after Harike waterworks near [[Firozpur]], thus affecting far-reaching areas such as [[Malout]], [[Zira, Punjab|Zira]], upper [[Lambi, Muktsar|Lambi]], while the areas being fed by [[Sirhind]] feeder, are the most-affected by its pollution.<ref name=ex>{{cite news|url=http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/buddha-nullah-the-toxic-vein-of-malwa/312236/|title=Buddha Nullah the toxic vein of Malwa|date=21 May 2008|work=Indian Express|access-date=16 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005151212/http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/buddha-nullah-the-toxic-vein-of-malwa/312236/|archive-date=5 October 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Hydrology==
[[File:Flow of the Buddha Nullah past Chamkaur, Fatehgarh, and Machhiwara, Survey of India geographical block-map for 53 B NW Nabha (1917) (cropped).jpg|thumb|Flow of the Buddha Nullah past Chamkaur, Fatehgarh, and Machhiwara, Survey of India geographical block-map for 53 B NW Nabha (1917)]]
Buddha Nullah, literally meaning "old rivulet or "old watercourse", originates at village Koom Kalan of Ludhiana and it runs parallel to the [[Satluj]] on its south for a fairly large section of its course in the [[Ludhiana district]] and ultimately joins the Satluj at [[Walipur Kalan]] in the northwestern corner of the district. Cities of [[Ludhiana]] and [[Machhiwara]] are situated to the south of the Buddha Nala.

Under the high-bank of the old course of the Sutlej emerges the Buddha Nullah, where is a perennial stream that originates at Chamkaur and enters Ludhiana district near Bahlopur, passing nearby the city of Ludhiana, re-entering the Sutlej at Jagraon Tehsil, near the district boundary with the neighbouring Firozpur district.<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Jain |first=Sharad K. |title=Hydrology and Water Resources of India |last2=Agarwal |first2=Pushpendra K. |last3=Singh |first3=Vijay P. |date=May 16, 2007 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=9781402051807 |pages=484–486}}</ref>

==Pollution and clean-up==
The Buddha Nullah is polluted, with its polluted waters entering the Sirhind Feeder meant for irrigation and subsequently polluting downstream branches, such as the [[Abohar Branch]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kamal |first=Neel |date=1 May 2022 |title=Contaminated canal water leaves orchards barren in Abohar villages |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/contaminated-canal-water-leaves-orchards-barren-in-abohar-villages/articleshow/91223211.cms |access-date=10 February 2026 |work=Times of India}}</ref> In 2006, a Ludhiana-based human rights organization, filed a case regarding the state of this nullah in the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) and even invited environmentalist, [[Balbir Singh Seechewal]], who had earlier cleaned the 164-km-long highly polluted Kali Bein rivulet with the help of his followers and without the government aid, to take the cause of cleaning up the nullah.<ref>{{cite news |date=15 November 2006 |title=Baba Seechewal urged to clean Buddha Nullah |url=http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=209719 |work=Indian Express}}{{dead link|date=February 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

A study conducted by [[Punjab Agricultural University]] in 2008, revealed presence of toxins and heavy metals in the food chain due to use of its water, to cultivate vegetables and other crops.
This was followed by another study by the School of Public Health, Department of Community Medicine, [[PGIMER]], Chandigarh, and the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), which also showed [[heptachlor]], beta-[[endosulphan]] and [[chlorpyrifos]] pesticides in concentrations exceeding the maximum residue limit in samples of ground and canal water used for drinking, the [[pesticide]]s were also detected in fodder, vegetables, blood, bovine and human milk samples, indicating that these have entered the food chain due to the use of agricultural run-off and irrigation of field with drain water. With increasing poisoning of the soil, the region once hailed as the home to the [[Green Revolution]], now due to excessive use of chemical fertilizer, is being termed the "Other [[Bhopal tragedy|Bhopal]]", and "even credit-takers of the Revolution have begun to admit they had been wrong, now that they see wastelands and lives lost to farmer suicides in this "granary of India".<ref>{{cite news |date=10 June 2010 |title=Laws To Tackle Other 'Bhopals' |url=http://www.livemint.com/2010/06/09212410/LAWS-TO-TACKLE-OTHER-8216BH.html?atype=tp |work=[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]]}}</ref>

=== Government efforts ===
Presently, sewage treatment plants of 466 MLD (48 MLD at Jamalpur, 111 & 50 MLD at Bhattian and 152 & 105MLD at Balloke) are operational for the treatment of the sewage of Ludhiana city.

In June 2009, Ludhiana district administration imposed article 144 around the nullah, banning the throwing of garbage in it, but in the following months it was scarcely implemented, despite public outcry.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5324092.cms|title=Pollution in Buddha Nullah on the rise|date=11 December 2009|work=The Times of India|first1=Manvinder|last1=Singh}}</ref> In the following month, the Government of Punjab, allocated Rs. 500 million for the cleaning up of the nullah.,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090708/punjab.htm#4|title=Rs 50 cr for Buddha Nullah cleaning|date=8 July 2009|work=The Tribune}}</ref> and in August, the municipal corporation in a demolition drive, removed a large number of illegal encroachments from both sides of the nullah.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4864429.cms|title=Encroachments on banks of Buddha Nullah cleared|date=6 August 2009|work=The Times of India|first1=Manvinder|last1=Singh}}</ref>

In 2020 Punjab Government approved a Rs650 crore project for rejuvenation of polluted Nullah, Chief Minister asked local government to complete project under 2 years.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-01-07 |title=Ludhiana: Rs 650 crore plan for Buddha Nullah clean-up |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/rs-650cr-plan-for-buddha-nullah-clean-up/articleshow/73130198.cms |access-date=2024-04-03 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> In December 2022, the testing of newly built treatment plants began.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-30 |title=Project to rejuvenate Buddha Nullah: Testing begins at newly constructed STP in Ludhiana |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ludhiana/project-rejuvenate-buddha-nullah-ludhiana-8352944/ |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> In 2023, 95% of the work was done and in same year, 31 December was marked deadline after already missing five dates due to delay caused by COVID-19. The project was taken as the top most priority and the work was progressing fast to meet the deadline.<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 December 2023 |title=95% rejuvenation done, Buddha Nullah close to turn into river |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ludhiana/95-rejuvenation-done-buddha-nullah-close-to-turn-into-river-576024 |website=The Tribune India}}</ref> However, the government clean-up project failed to produce results and a ''Buddha Dariya'' was not achieved.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Singh |first=Sukhpreet |date=29 January 2025 |title=4 years on, ₹650-cr Buddha Nullah revamp project yet to find its feet |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/4-years-on-650-cr-buddha-nullah-revamp-project-yet-to-find-its-feet-101738087074301.html |access-date=30 June 2025 |work=Hindustan Times}}</ref> Over the past 40 years, numerous government administrations have made promises to clean the nullah but none have been successful.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=4 July 2024 |title=Thousands of crores spent on Ludhiana's Buddha Nullah go down the drain |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ludhiana/thousands-of-crores-spent-on-buddha-nullah-go-down-the-drain-636766/ |access-date=30 June 2025 |work=The Tribune}}</ref> The toxic waters of the nullah continue to cause disease and premature-death in the localities surrounding it.<ref name=":1" />

=== Private efforts ===
[[Balbir Singh Seechewal]], who cleaned-up the [[Kali Bein]], launched a ''[[Sevā|kar seva]]'' effort to clean the Buddha Nullah in December 2024.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=29 December 2024 |title=Seechewal pitches tent to clean Buddha Nullah |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ludhiana/seechewal-pitches-tent-to-clean-buddha-nullah/ |access-date=30 June 2025 |work=The Tribune}}</ref> Seechewal's clean-up efforts have been criticized as PR stunt by only sharing photographs of select, clean stretches of the nullah upstream, whilst ignoring the more polluted, downstream sections.<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 March 2025 |title=Ludhiana:Seechewal’s claim of clean Buddha Nullah ‘PR stunt’, says local activists |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/ludhianaseechewals-claim-of-clean-buddha-nullah-pr-stunt-says-local-activists-101743271511415.html |access-date=30 June 2025 |work=Hindustan Times}}</ref>

== Sikhism ==
The Buddha Nullah is connected to Guru Nanak, which is marked by Gurdwara Gaughat.<ref name=":2" />

==See also==
*[[Water pollution in India]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[http://wikimapia.org/9439319/BUDDHA-NALA Wikimapia Link]
*[http://www.understandingplanetearth.in/images/Buddha%20nala.jpg Map of Buddha Nala]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{Hydrography of Punjab, India}}

{{coord|30.931|75.977|display=title}}

[[Category:Ludhiana district]]
[[Category:Canals in Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Indus basin]]

Buddha Nullah - Revision history

Jantapost at 05:37, 10 February 2026