Chandigarh, Feb 18 (IANS): In bid to undertake rejuvenation of highly polluting Buddah Nallah in Ludhiana, the Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday approved Rs 650 crore project for it in the first phase.

Divulging details, a spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said that under this plan an additional sewerage treatment plan having capacity of 275 MLD, including associated infrastructure, would be developed, which would go a long way in solving problems of Buddah Nallah and subsequent pollution of the Satluj river.

The Cabinet also decided to levy one per cent additional stamp duty on registration of sale and purchase of urban properties to finance water supply and environment improvement programmes in urban areas of the state.

The pollution in the Buddah Nallah is a major threat to the public health and environment.

The main sources of pollution in Buddah Nallah are direct flow into the nallah by industries.

Taking serious view of pollution in the drains, streams and rivers in the state, the National Green Tribunal has already directed the state to take proactive steps to immediately address this problem.

The Buddah Nallah is a seasonal tributary of Satluj, which emanates from the confluence of Kum Link Drain and Neelon Drain near Ghumait and Kumkalan villages, and flows in an east-west direction south of the river.

The total length of the drain is 47.55 km and it passes through Ludhiana city (14 km) to divide the city into two.