Ludhiana, Oct. 4 -- Streets in the Tajpur Dairy Complex have been waterlogged with dairy waste and sludge for the past three days, leaving workers struggling to move through lanes covered with nearly a foot of foul-smelling waste.

The overflow has triggered a fresh dispute over the functioning of the complex's waste-treatment system. Tajpur Dairy Association president Lovely Singh blamed the situation on the closure of the "Seechewal model", a system of three interconnected wells designed to filter wastewater generated by the dairies before it is discharged into the Buddha Nullah.

Singh alleged that the system was shut down by Rajya Sabha MP and environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal, after which the wastewater began backing up and spi...