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₹15-crore fine slapped on PGI, GMCH, GMSH over discharge of untreated sewage
The fine has been imposed on the directions of the National Green Tribunal for violation of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
The Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) has imposed an environmental penalty of ₹15 crore on the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (PGIMER), Sector 12; Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32; and Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, for discharging untreated sewage in municipal drains since 2019.
The penalty has been imposed on the directions of the National Green Tribunal for violation of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
The committee has imposed a fine of ₹5.63 crore on PGIMER for violations between February 19, 2019, and March 31, 2023.
Similarly, GMCH has been fined ₹5.62 crore and GMSH ₹5.62 crore for violations from February 19, 2019, to March 28, 2023.
A senior CPCC official said despite several notices to all three medical institutes to follow the norms, they did not adhere to them. Over the past four years, they have neither installed effluent treatment plants (ETP) nor sewage treatment plants (STP), and have continued to discharge untreated sewage in MC drains.
As per the committee’s findings, PGIMER is discharging untreated sewage of around 3.5 million gallons per day (MGD). At GMCH and GMSH, the number stands at 1.5 MGD and 1 MGD, respectively.
UT chief engineer CB Ojha said as far as GMCH-32 was concerned, construction of both ETP and STP was underway and will be completed by August end: “Tenders have also been floated for GMSH-16 and work will begin soon.”
Even after repeated attempts, PGIMER superintending engineer PS Saini could not be contacted for a comment.
A senior UT official said if the hospitals failed to pay the fine, penal interest will be calculated on the amount. “They also have to comply with the NGT orders of setting up ETP and STP on their respective premises,” he said.
In January this year, the UT administration had constituted a high-powered three-member committee for utilisation of the Environmental Compensation (EC) Fund available with CPCC for restoration of environment.
The three members include UT home secretary Nitin Kumar Yadav, finance secretary Vijay Namdeorao Zade and UT environment director Debendra Dalai.
