Court tells pollution board to collect fresh samples from STPs around Dal

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 7

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the State Pollution Control Board to collect fresh samples from the sewage treatment plants around the Dal Lake, including STPs set up by the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, Hotel Centaur Lake View, SKICC and Grand Palace.

The board has also been told to submit fresh status report by the next date of hearing.

The directions were issued by a division bench of the court in the wake of a report by the PCB, in which the board had submitted that the bio-chemical oxygen levels in the samples collected from the hotel Grand Palace and SKIMS, Soura, were found to be in excess of the permissible limit.

The Pollution Control Board had filed latest compliance report on April 4.

In the report, while referring to hotel Grand Palace, it had been stated that bio-chemical oxygen demand was in excess of the permissible limit. It was also stated that toxic shock syndrome (TSS) was also in excess of the permissible limits, the court said in its orders on Wednesday, while hearing a PIL about the conservation of the Dale Lake.

“At this stage, counsel appearing for the said hotel sought and is granted a week’s time to take remedial steps for complying with the prescribed norms,” the bench said while directing the authorities concerned to ensure that STPs are brought to the level where prescribed norms are maintained.

“In respect of Hotel Centaur Lake View, the PCB in its report has stated that samples collected on March 14 were found conforming to prescribed norms. However, about STPs at the SKIMS, Soura, it is reported that bio-chemical oxygen demand was found in excess than the prescribed limits,” the bench said in its orders.

It directed the PCB to take fresh samples from all STPs, including the ones at Centaur Lake View and SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar and submit a fresh report before the next date of hearing.