Private sewage plants under govt scrutiny

The GMDA’s action plan against the owners of the defaulter STPs would include disconnection of water and sewer lines, lodging police complaints and referring the matter to the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) for further action.

After several complaints that private sewage treatment plants (STPs) are discharging untreated sewage into storm water drains, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) on Tuesday began a survey of all the STPs installed at privately developed residential and commercial establishments across the city to prepare a consolidated report on defaulters, said an official familiar with the matter.

A sewage treatment plant at a residential society. Official claimed many STPs discharge untreated sewage into storm water drains and in the open illegally and they needed to be monitored. (HT Photo)

The GMDA official said that action would be initiated against non-functional/partially functional STPs from September 2.

As many as 175 STPs were inspected by Wednesday.

The GMDA’s action plan against the owners of the defaulter STPs would include disconnection of water and sewer lines, lodging police complaints and referring the matter to the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) for further action.

There are 366 STPs that the authority’s inspection team will survey for their daily sewage generation, treatment and discharge. The authority said all these STPs are not yet connected with STPs located in Behrampur and Dhanvapur, and therefore it is clueless about their treatment and daily discharge.

The GMDA official claimed many of these STPs discharge untreated sewage into storm water drains and in the open illegally and they needed to be monitored.

The GMDA is under monitoring of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for discharging polluted sewage into Yamuna through the Najafgarh drain. The tribunal took strong note of contamination elements found available in GMDA’s recycled water at tail end of the city on April 4 this year in a measurement.

On July 16, the GMDA instructed developers to install online analysers at their STPs by August 31 so that the authority would be able to monitor their sewage generation, treatment and discharge on daily basis through GPS system.

Lalit Arora, GMDA chief engineer, said, “There are 366 STPs across the city and none followed our July 16 instructions, even as the deadline will expire in two days. We have complaints that many of the STPs discharge untreated sewage illegally into storm water drains.”

“We will disconnect water and sewer connections of defaulters and we will also submit their list to HSPCB for further action,” said Arora.

The GMDA, in its August 10 affidavit to NGT, submitted an action plan against the defaulters and setting up additional sewage treatments plants of 90 million litres daily at Sector 34, Dhanvapur and Sector 111 by 2023.

The NGT, which was to pronounce its decision on August 23, showed dissatisfaction to the affidavit submitted by the GMDA and sought a fresh comprehensive action plan before September 6 when it will pronounce final decision in this regard.

“We will initiate action against the persons discharging untreated sewage directly into drain or in the open,” said Kuldeep Singh, regional officer, HSPCB.