Notice to govt on effluents entering water bodies

The Centre was on Wednesday asked by the Delhi High Court to respond to a plea for directions to it to take steps to prevent effluents from the sewerage treatment plants (STPs) from entering water bodies and causing ground water pollution.

The Centre was on Wednesday asked by the Delhi High Court to respond to a plea for directions to it to take steps to prevent effluents from the sewerage treatment plants (STPs) from entering water bodies and causing ground water pollution.

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Issuing notices to the environment ministry, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and also to the Delhi Jal Board, a bench of acting chief justice AK Sikri and
Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw sought their replies by May 10.

The bench issued notices on a plea by an environmentalist, Vinod Jain, who alleged the treated effluent from various STPs in the city are being channelised into the water bodies, leading to contamination of the ground water.

“The treated sewage water is not only polluting the water bodies but also contaminating the ground water,” Jain said.

Seeking direction to the environment ministry to ensure that the treated sewage water from various treatment plants meet the guidelines framed by the CPCB, Jain said, “Unless the STPs efficiency is raised, the water bodies shall always receive unclean water.”

He also sought the court to monitor the issue and alleged government negligence.