Sewage discharged in Ulhas river as there is no drainage system, STP in Badlapur; HC seeks report from Collector

The court was hearing a petition that complained about the municipal council granting an Occupancy Certificate to a large residential complex despite it having a small septic tank

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the Thane district Collector to inspect the limits of the Kulgaon Badlapur Municipal Council and submit a report on the sewage lines and alleged discharge of untreated sewer into the Ulhas River. The upper reaches of the river is a source of drinking water for cities like Kalyan-Dombivli, Thane, and Ulhasnagar.

Ulhas river (HT PHOTO) File photo

While hearing a petition by Yashwant Bhoir, a resident, the court was informed about the lack of proper drainage lines and sewerage facilities provided by Kulgaon-Badlapur Municipal Council for a town with a population of 5 lakh. As a result, wastewater, including from the septic tanks, is directly discharged into the Ulhas River. The petition complained about the municipal council granting an Occupancy Certificate to a large residential complex despite it having a small septic tank. Additionally, the builder allegedly failed to connect the complex with the municipal sewer line to discharge wastewater.

“There is no sewerage treatment plant, although the municipal population is approximately 5 lakh,” said the division bench of Justice GS Kulkarni and Justice Arif Doctor. It added that the city neither has proper sewerage lines nor a sewerage treatment plant, intolerably causing all kinds of municipal sewerage to pollute the river. “It is a gross abuse of the environmental laws.”

The court directed the municipal officers to file an affidavit in reply to the petition and also ordered the builder to take corrective measures after obtaining the necessary permission from the civic body.

Taking serious note of the breach of water pollution norms, the court directed the Thane District Collector to visit and inspect the municipal area about the absence of sewer lines and the purported discharge of untreated sewage in the Ulhas River. The collector must also carry out a health and hygiene inspection of the area and submit a report, along with a high court officer, on the date scheduled for the next hearing on July 17.