Untreated sewage in N-Choe: PPCB to summon GMADA for not replying to notice

The pollution board had issued a show-cause notice to GMADA in October over untreated sewage entering N-Choe in Mohali

Acting on GMADA’s failure to reply to a show-cause notice over discharge of untreated sewage into the N-Choe passing through IT City, near Airport Road, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has decided to issue a summons to the development authority.

A seasonal stream, N-Choe originates in the north of Chandigarh and runs across the city, before meeting the Jagatpura drain at Manauli village in Mohali. The water finally drains into Ghaggar river. (HT Photo)

In October this year, the pollution board had issued a notice to GMADA, asking them to file a reply within two weeks.

The notice was issued under Section 25/26 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, under which no industry, operator process or any treatment and disposal system can be established without the previous consent of the state pollution board, and no industry or process can discharge sewage or trade effluent into a stream, well, sewer or land in excess of the standards.

Violation of any order under the Water Act, for which no penalty has been provided elsewhere in its framework, is punishable with imprisonment up to three months with/or fine of up to ₹10,000.

“As per our records, GMADA never applied for a no-objection certificate (NOC) or even PPCB’s consent before setting up IT City. They only have environment clearance for the project,” said Kuldeep Singh, executive engineer, PPCB.

When contacted, GMADA’s executive engineer Ranjiv Mankatalasaid, “I need to check the record for whether we filed a reply or not. Also, work on the STP will start soon.”

In September, Hindustan Times had highlighted how despite the directions of the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change, GMADA had not constructed two sewage treatment plants (STPs) with 10 million litres per day (MLD) capacity.

As a result, untreated sewage is being discharged into the N-Choe passing through IT City. In 2019, the development authority had built a portable STP of 500 KLD, but it has been lying defunct since then.

A seasonal stream, N-Choe originates in the north of Chandigarh and runs across the city, before meeting the Jagatpura drain at Manauli village in Mohali. The water finally drains into Ghaggar river.

Residents allege that untreated sewage in the water is leading to harmful waterborne pathogens and bacteria, which pose high risk to human and animal health.

IT City is spread over 1,722 acres across Sectors 66B, 82A, 83A and 101A near the Airport Road, and has major IT companies, industrial and commercial units, residential areas and a private school, besides campuses of two major private universities.

The first housing scheme in IT City was launched in February 2014 with 325 residential plots, the second scheme in July 2016 with 750 plots, and the last scheme in April 2018.