Ludhiana MC polls: Abuzz with promises, parties’ priority lists lay stress on Buddha Nullah

During the campaigning for the Municipal Corporation (MC) polls, which ended on Thursday, one issue that kept united all parties in their rhetoric was the long-standing pollution crisis of Buddha Nullah. For years, promises have been made to clean it but nothing concrete has been done so far in this direction, say residents. Traffic congestion, sanitation, stray animals, pollution, parking issues and infrastructural development, which have been concerning the city residents for long, also found mention among the priorities listed by political parties.

On December 3, city residents along with activists, under the banner of the Kale Pani Da Morcha and various farm unions, had staged a massive protest against dyeing factories’ common effluent treatment plants for “polluting Buddha Nullah”. During the protest, traffic was brought to a standstill for over eight hours on the national highway-95 near the Verka Milk Plant, Ferozepur Road. AAP’s Punjab president Aman Arora, in a recent event, announced five major guarantees with Buddha Nullah’s pollution crisis and access to clean drinking water taking top priority. “Our promises are not just words. They will be implemented within an hour of electing an AAP mayor,” Arora declared, reiterating the party’s commitment to tackling pollution and improving the city’s infrastructure. The other guarantees include a garbage-free city, introduction of 100 electric buses and setting up four interstate bus stands.

Arora accused the former governments for the problems of the city, vowing to rectify it.

The AAP guarantees invited sharp reaction from opposition parties. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, while targeting the AAP over its five guarantees, asked the party to fulfil the promises it made in the past, such as ₹2,500 monthly old age and widow pension, ₹1,000 per month to women and improving law and order situation in Punjab.

Minister of state for food processing and railways Ravneet Singh Bittu also chided AAP and termed its claims bogus and eyewash. BJP’s manifesto focuses on Ludhiana’s urban challenges, including zoning the city into six administrative areas, creating multilevel parking facilities to ease traffic congestion and resolving the stray animal menace, along with addressing the Buddha Nullah issue. District BJP president Rajneesh Dhiman said, “Unlike other parties, we have crafted our manifesto after consultations with residents from all walks of life. This reflects the real issues being faced by Ludhianvis.”

The SAD criticised rival parties for “neglecting” Ludhiana’s development. Former SAD cabinet minister Maheshinder Singh Grewal said, “Development is the core issue for us. The Congress and the AAP have completed projects we initiated under the Smart Cities Mission. But they did it poorly due to their lack of foresight. The roads, including Satpaul Mittal Road, underpaths and flyovers, are faulty, adding to the problems being faced by the city residents. “Our focus is on development, ensuring brotherhood and law and order, he added.”

The Congress, too, put Buddha Nullah at the forefront during its campaign. District Congress president Sanjay Talwar claimed that the party initiated the work to clean the Buddha Nullah, but AAP did not follow through. “We understand Ludhiana’s problems that are traffic congestion, pollution, stray animals and parking issues. If elected, we will collaborate with NGOs and residents to upgrade city parks,” Talwar promised.

The SAD and the Congress haven’t released their manifestos. The polling for the MC elections will be held on December 21.