The Punjab government and stakeholders have announced an initiative to clean the Sutlej river. Launched by the Centre for Responsible Business (CRB) and The ReFashion Hub, the initiative involves promotion of wastewater reuse to address water contamination issue in the state.

This initiative is part of a nation-wide campaign launched along with the Alliance for Water Stewardship & YWater to raise awareness on wastewater reuse in the textile industry. CRB along with stakeholders and The Refashion Hub organized several consultations and meetings to gauge awareness on water reuse and wastewater treatment.

They found Ludhiana's textile industry consists of roughly 300 processing and dyeing units, which are in proximity to rivers and groundwater sources. The pollution of Sutlej river, especially from industrial and domestic sewage, has drawn much attention. Ludhiana is one of the key locations identified as the source of pollution. Of the 2,400 plus industrial units identified in Ludhiana, nearly 10 per cent belong to the dyeing units.