Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court has issued a contempt notice to top officials in Punjab’s water supply and sewerage department after being frustrated by the prolonged delay in constructing sewage treatment plants (STPs) across multiple towns.
The court highlighted how 11 years had passed since its 2013 directive to prioritise STP installations.
In a stern order, the high court’s division bench led by chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Anil Kshetarpal cited a “suo motu” recognition of contempt against the department for defying the 2013 mandate.
The high court’s original order, part of a public-interest petition, was prompted by rising public health concerns over the 225-kilometre Lasara drain, which carries toxic effluents through Ludhiana, Sangrur, and Barnala districts. Its hazardous wastewater that seeped into crop fields has damaged local ecosystems and farming communities.
The court detailed specific unfinished STP projects at Raman Mandi, Malerkotla, Tappa, and Dhanaula. It said that despite repeated instructions, the development remained slow.
Officials, including the water supply and sewerage board’s secretary, are now required to justify the delays or faced potential contempt proceedings for failing to execute the court’s long-standing orders.
The case underscores Punjab’s environmental crisis, as delays in vital sewage infrastructure contribute to contamination risks for communities and farmlands.