Gurugram: The dumping of untreated sewage into the city’s drains seems to be going unchecked by many septic tank owners — unmindful of the fact that the highly polluted water is going straight to the river Yamuna through the Najafgarh drain and that it is a gross violation of environmental norms.
On Friday, residents of New Palam Vihar filed a complaint with the district administration officials in this regard, drawing their attention to a noted location at drain number 1 in Sector 111, which is close to the Dwarka expressway. The residents alleged that hundreds of tankers dispose untreated sewage daily at this drain that meets Najafgarh drain on the outskirts of the city.
When an HT team visited the site, it found that five tankers, in a span of only 30 minutes, had emptied their tanks loaded with untreated sewage collected from the residential localities in the nearby areas.
“The septic tankers also dispose untreated sewage in other drains, which are located in sectors 82, 67 and 58,” said Rakesh Rana, a resident of New Palam Vihar .
Drivers of these tankers said that they have to follow the command of their employers, the tanker owners. “We cannot name house or locality from where we have collected sewage,” said a driver while emptying a tank, adding that nearly 30 to 50 times a day each tanker disposes untreated sewage at the same location, which is known to police, officials of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram and the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB).
{{/usCountry}}Drivers of these tankers said that they have to follow the command of their employers, the tanker owners. “We cannot name house or locality from where we have collected sewage,” said a driver while emptying a tank, adding that nearly 30 to 50 times a day each tanker disposes untreated sewage at the same location, which is known to police, officials of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram and the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB).
{{/usCountry}}In September last year, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) laid a penalty provision in its order — if polluted water was found in any city drain, the NGT-appointed river Yamuna monitoring committee will impose a penalty of ₹5 lakh/drain in a month and the penalty is to be recovered from the officials in whose jurisdiction the drain falls.
However, no penalty has been imposed on violators since January 1, when the provision came into effect.
Primarily, officials of HSPCB can act against these violations under the environment act. When asked about the matter, Kuldeep Singh, regional officer, HSPCB, said, “We continue to keep a watch on such offences as this is illegal. We will write to MCG to check illegal dumping of sewage directly into the drains as such power is vested with the MCG.”
A senior MCG official, wishing anonymity, said, “MCG has empanelled authorized septic tankers. Residents should call only authorized tankers for such work because empanelled tankers can dispose sewage at designated locations only that will go to STPs. Besides, the civic body has been taking action against illegal dumping also.”
The discharge of polluted water into Yamuna from Gurugram and other cities has been a big concern for the NGT.