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Chandigarh Pollution Control Commission (CPCC) imposed fines of Rs 9.3 crore and Rs 2.7 crore on the Chandigarh Civil Authority and its management, respectively, for consistently violating environmental standards from 2020 to 2022.
Details obtained Indian Express It reveals that the civil authority committed 93 violations, while the administration violated environmental norms 48 times.
Among these violations, the civil body was found to be non-compliant 56 times in 2021 and 2022 alone, mainly in relation to four of the wastewater treatment plants (STPs). STP stations located at Raipur Kalan-I, Raipur Khurd, Dhanas and 3BRD were frequently found not to adhere to the required standards during this period.
The commission imposed environmental compensation of up to Rs 5.60 crore (Rs 10,000 per month per STP) between 1 April 2021 and September 2022, based on Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels, to address the non-compliance issues of these four plants.
The penalties were implemented after an incidental notice issued on August 22, 2022, and subsequent reminders, which did not result in satisfactory responses from the civil authority.
In response to the heavy fine, Chandigarh Municipal Corporation Commissioner Anindita Mitra said they are upgrading and building new water treatment plants to achieve compliance. “Out of six STPs with MC, three have been upgraded, with two completed in August and one in September.”
Fined for dumping waste in Sokhna Choy
UT’s real estate office and engineering department have been penalized Rs 2.7 crore for not following environmental rules on several occasions between 2020 and 2022.
Of the 48 times they faced penalties, the Chandigarh administration was caught not complying with the discharge standards near Sukhna Choe 30 times during the said period. The property office was penalized Rs 1.50 crore because the untreated waste water from Dhaka Colony, Raipur Khord, was flowing into Sukhna Choi and then mixed with Ghaghar River. The colony was found to be illegal and did not have a proper sewage system, which resulted in sewage being discharged into a stormwater drainage system.
As a result, the Chandigarh Pollution Control Commission has taken action against the real estate office 30 times – 9 times in 2020, 12 times in 2021 and 9 times in 2022. It is taking steps to fix the problem.
In addition, the chief engineer of the UT department was fined Rs 60 lakh for non-compliance with the standards 12 times from 2020 to 2022. The problem arose because untreated water from the N-choe was reaching the Ghaggar river due to the failure of the department to carry out the necessary treatment of drains.
UT faced six more violations for not adhering to the STP standards at Raipur Kalan II, which they were responsible for maintaining. This resulted in the imposition of an additional environmental compensation of Rs 60 lakh.
Notifications galore
As of August 22, 2022, CPCC has issued ad hoc notices to the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation and the engineering department, asking why it has not imposed environmental damages for not complying with the National Green Court (NGT) directives related to drains and water treatment plants.
Just a few days later, on September 6, the CPCC issued another incidental notice to the municipal corporation for non-compliance with NGT directives regarding solid waste management.
CPCC did not calm down, sending more reminders to the Civil Authority and the Engineering Department on September 28, September 19 and November 2, urging them to comply with the NGT directive.
Finally, on November 9, 2022, the CPCC took action and imposed environmental compensation on both the civic body and the administration.
Two drains – Sukhna Choe and N-Choe – were discharging wastewater into the Ghaggar River, and NGT has passed directions on this matter. Initially, 14 points were identified where N-Choe wastewater and sewage were mixed. Authorities have taken action to address the problem, noting that 13 out of 14 points have been resolved, resulting in low levels of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), which indicates water pollution. Similarly, 12 out of 13 problematic points have been resolved in the case of Sukhna Choe. High levels of BOD in effluents discharged from water treatment plants in tributaries of the Ghaggar River have raised concerns about pollution of the river.
The commissioner said that everyone chooses, except for Fidan. She added, “However, (making options) is an ongoing process where people unplug and then the MC has to plug back in.”
When inquiring about the waste water in the picks, one of the officials stated that the picks need to be deepened because when they are full, backflow of water occurs causing floods as well as dirty water.
CPCC alleged that the UT administration did not carry out any on-site treatment in any of the drains due to which untreated waste water reached the Ghaggar River and other water resources.
Meanwhile, Principal of the Punjab College of Engineering Baldev Setia, who is also a water resources engineer, said the drainage system is like a “full circle”. “All of it including storm water, waste water and water management forms a circle and every aspect of it must be seen,” Setia added.
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