E-Paper
Conduct feasibility study on treated water: NGT tells NTPC
The order came in response to a petition filed by NTPC, challenging NGT’s earlier direction to use treated sewage water for non-potable purposes
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Dadri, to produce a feasibility report on using treated sewage water from Noida’s sewage treatment plants (STPs), a move to help reduce the burden on potable water sources and mitigate pollution.
The order came in response to a petition filed by NTPC, challenging NGT’s earlier direction to use treated sewage water for non-potable purposes. During a previous hearing this May, NTPC had argued that using STP water from Noida was not feasible but it failed to provide a feasibility report or comparative cost analysis.
An NGT bench comprising chairperson, justice Praksh Shrivastava, judicial member justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member, Dr A Senthil Vel, said, “No feasibility report considering all the relevant factors has been placed on record. No comparative study of cost analysis in reference to the cost of supply of fresh water, cost of supply of STP treated water on terms of the MoU dated June 14, 2018, and cost analysis if the STP treated water is supplied free to applicant.”
The tribunal noted that despite a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between NTPC and Noida authority for supplying 90 mgd (million gallons per day) of treated water, there was no evidence of the authority supplying the water or recovering the cost.
The NGT cited the ministry of power’s circular, dated March 4, 2020, which mandated the use of “treated sewage water” by thermal power plants within a 50-km radius of local body STPs, which is a part of Tariff Policy, 2016.
This policy includes provisions that encourage thermal power plants to use treated sewage water for non-potable purposes, like cooling systems, meant to reduce the plants’ dependence on freshwater sources and minimise their environmental impact.
To be sure, by citing the policy, the NGT has emphasised that NTPC’s Dadri plant must comply with this existing policy and explore the use of treated sewage water, as it is located within the specified radius of Noida’s STPs.
The tribunal, meanwhile, countered NTPC’s claim that building a bridge to lay the pipeline would inflate capital expenditure, pointing out that an existing structure near Bisrakh could be used.
“In the course of argument, counsel for the applicant (NTPC)mentioned a photo that was filed with the reply to the initial application which shows that a bridge already exists, which makes it possible to lay a pipeline to supply treated sewage water. This contradicts NTPC’s claim that no such bridge exists,” it said.
In this background, counsel for the applicant—NTPC — seeks time to file the supplementary affidavit along with the feasibility report keeping in view the observation made earlier, the NGT bench further stated.
A petition in the matter was entered by a local resident Abhisht Gupta in 2017, alleging that untreated waste was being discharged by authorities into the drains, besides the NTPC was using fresh water despite a pact with authority.
“Despite ministry of power’s circular in place which mandates the use of ‘treated sewage water’ by thermal power plants within a 50-km radius of local body STPs, the NTPC failed to use treated sewage water, giving multiple excuses including non-functional STP, authority operating under capacity, among other things, before NGT over hearings,” Gupta told HT on Monday.
“It further said that ₹ 650 crore will be spent to construct a bridge and lay pipeline to use treated water from Noida authority, a claim which we countered in the court. The court has now sought a feasibility report,” he added.
The NGT will now next hear the case on November 25, 2024.
