Ludhiana: Furious dairy farmers blocked a major transport artery with carts of cow dung on Monday, trapping hundreds of commuters in traffic to protest against a failing municipal sewerage system. The three-hour blockade on Hambran Road highlighted a growing public health crisis in the Haibowal dairy complex, where raw sewage and animal waste have flooded public streets, threatening the hygiene of the city's primary milk supply.
Details of the Protest
The demonstration began at 10 a.m. when dairy owners marched from their units and barricaded the road near the municipal corporation workshop. To maximise disruption, protesters parked trolleys heaped with manure strategically across the lanes, causing traffic to back up for miles. Stranded commuters, including the elderly and those travelling for urgent work, were forced to navigate flooded alleyways or argue with farmers to let them pass.
Satinder Kaur, a senior citizen left stranded on her way to a nearby spiritual centre, said, "The auto-rickshaw driver dropped us near the protest and refused to go ahead. I cannot walk that distance at my age, and there is no other transport available."
Grievances of Dairy Farmers
Dairy farmers claimed local authorities had failed to honour past promises to clear the choked infrastructure and had double standards in enforcement. "Our streets are flooded with sewage and heaps of cow dung," said Paramjit Singh Bobby, chairman of the Haibowal dairy complex. "The authorities violate National Green Tribunal orders by failing to block industrial dyeing outlets while penalising agricultural operations."
Resolution and Agreement
The blockade lifted at 1 p.m. after municipal corporation’s zonal commissioner Jasdev Sekhon arrived to negotiate an end to the standoff. Under the temporary truce, civic officials agreed to clear the primary blockage in an old drain running through the complex within one week. They will also facilitate dairy farmers’ meeting with environmentalist and lawmaker Balbir Singh Seechewal and install digital water flow meters at select dairy units to gauge water usage accurately for future infrastructural upgrades.
Ongoing Concerns
Despite the breakthrough, the complex remains a biohazard. A critical road connecting the local effluent treatment plant to the Buddha Dariya waterway remains submerged under toxic runoff, cutting off vehicular access and raising concerns over milk contamination. The situation underscores the urgent need for sustainable waste management solutions in the dairy complex.
