Conduct resurvey within 3 days, NGT asks MC

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 2

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Municipal Corporation to conduct a resurvey of the locations where sewage is being discharged into Sukhna Choe and N-choe within three days. Both seasonal rivulets of the city flow into the Ghaggar near Zirakpur.

The directions came from a committee of the Green Tribunal during the review of the status of waste water generation and treatment in Chandigarh in the matter of the Ghaggar in a meeting with officials of different departments of the UT.

In its report, the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) submitted that sewage is being discharged into Sukhna Choe and N-choe at six places in the city.

During an inspection conducted recently, the CPCC found that sewage was flowing into Sukhna Choe at Kishangarh outlet, outlet of Shastri Nagar, Daria village and pump house operated by the MC behind Central Poultry Farm, Industrial Area, Phase 1, and sewage was flowing into N-choe at Garden of Spring where the sewage was coming from Mohali and Sector 36 near the CFSL from the ISKCON Temple side.

Meanwhile, MC officials informed the committee that as per the directions of the NGT, work to repair the damaged sewer line at Daria village had been completed.

Debendra Dalai, Member Secretary, CPCC, stated that it was decided that the Mohali Municipal Corporation would take necessary steps immediately to stop the discharge of sewage into N-choe at the Garden of Spring outlet.

The NGT also directed the Engineering Department, UT, to complete the phytoremediation work around Sukhna Choe and N-choe within a month in order to prevent the flow of polluted water into the Ghaggar.

In August last year, the NGT had directed the Engineering Department to undertake in-situ bio-remediation in the two drains carrying untreated sewage into the Ghaggar. However, the department has so far planted nearly 3,500-4,000 plants along N-choe and Sukhna Choe and on slopes.

“Thinking that the work should have been completed by now, the Tribunal directed the Engineering Department to complete the work of phytoremediation within in a month,” said Debendra Dalai.

He said a team would also visit Patiala for further amendment in the procedure so that works get properly done.

Under phytoremediation, different varieties of plants that remove, stabilise and destroy contaminants in the soil and groundwater are planted.

On inspection, performance of effluent treatment plants (ETPs) and action against the violating industries, the NGT was informed that the CPCC was regularly inspecting the performance of ETPs in industries and taking action against the units violating norms.

Dalai said out of the eight units inspected in September and October, five units were found violating the norms and action was being taken against the units.