MCG to sever 65 sewer lines contaminating Yamuna

Gurugram The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) will stop all 65 sewer lines that are directly connected by residents to the stormwater drains of the city by

Gurugram The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) will stop all 65 sewer lines that are directly connected by residents to the stormwater drains of the city by the end of December, said officials, in compliance with the National Green Tribunal’s order to keep city drains free from untreated sewage.

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MCG’s chief engineer, Raman Sharma, reviewed the action taken by the enforcement wing in this regard on Wednesday.

Following the NGT order of September 12 to the Haryana government to stop disposal of sewage into the Yamuna through Najafgarh drain — specifically from Gurugram and Faridabad cities — the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) formed a team to locate direct sewer connections into the three natural drains (Leg 1, 2 and 3) and it submitted an action plan in the form of an affidavit to the tribunal through the Haryana government on October 12.

The team identified 105 direct connections from sectors, municipal colonies, villages, industrial areas and unauthorised areas.

The affidavit (which was accessed by HT) shows that most of such connections fall in the MCG’s area, with 25 connections in GMDA’s area and seven in the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) area.

The GMDA, which is the custodian authority of master sewer lines and three drains, said it has achieved its 90% target by stopping 20 connections and diverting them to sewage treatment plants (STPs).

“We have diverted 22 connections to our Behrampur and Dhanvapur STPs and we are trying to keep our three drains free from untreated sewage water, in compliance with the NGT order,” a GMDA official familiar with the matter said.

From January 1, 2020, the NGT will start imposing a penalty of ₹5 lakh/drain/month on the GMDA, if drains are found to have contaminated water.