Rs 16-crore green fine slapped on three top govt hospitals in Chandigarh

Tribune News Service

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Chandigarh, April 21

The Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) has imposed a penalty of over Rs 16 crore as environmental compensation on three top government health institutions in UT — the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (PGI); Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32; and Government Multi-Speciality Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16 — for failing to treat wastewater and discharging untreated sewage into the drains of the Municipal Corporation since 2019.

The action has been initiated on the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for non-compliance of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. The institutions have been found releasing liquid hospital waste and sewage generated from premises without treatment at the sewage treatment plant (STP) and effluent treatment plant (ETP).

The committee has imposed a fine of Rs 5.63 crore on the PGI for violating the norms from February 19, 2019, to March 31, 2023; Rs 5.62 crore on the GMCH-32 for violations from February 19, 2019, to March 28, 2023; and Rs 5.62 crore penalty on the GMSH-16 for violations from February 19, 2019, to March 28, 2023.

As per the NGT directions, the violators should strictly follow the norms prescribed under Acts and rules, and environmental compensation be imposed as penalty on these to neutralise the damage caused to the pristine environment and fragile ecosystem. A special committee at the UT level shall utilise the Environmental Compensation Fund especially towards rejuvenation of the damage caused.

On the directions of the NGT to implement the same, the CPCC, after regular examination of the wastewater released, directed all three hospitals to adhere to the norms. Despite several notices, the hospitals failed to do so, said an official.

“In the past four years, neither have they installed the ETP nor STP, and are discharging untreated sewage into MC drains,” he said.

As per the record, the PGI is discharging around 3.5 million gallons per day (MLD) of untreated sewage, GMCH-32 1.5 MLD and GMSH around 1 MLD.

The CPCC had earlier issued a show-cause notice to the PGI seeking explanation as to why an STP and an ETP had not been installed at the institution, which treats thousands of patients from the region every day.

UT Chief Engineer CB Ojha said construction of both ETP and STP was underway at the GMCH-32 and would be completed by the end of August. As for the GMSH-16, tenders had been floated and the work would start soon, he said.

Recently, the CPCC had imposed a penalty of Rs 2.89 crore on the railway station and Rs 1.74 crore on the Central Reserve Police Force for violating the NGT norms and causing damage to the environment.

The committee had found the railway station releasing wastewater into pits, instead of the MC sewerage system. Also, no ETP and STP had been set up on the premises. Similarly, the CRPF campus at Hallo Majra was found releasing wastewater into the storm water drainage, which finally opened into Sukhna Choe.

In January, the UT had constituted a three-member committee for utilisation of the Environmental Compensation Fund available with the CPCC for the restoration of environment. The three members include Home Secretary Nitin Kumar Yadav; Finance Secretary Vijay Namdeorao Zade and Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden Debendra Dalai.

No sewage, effluent treatment plants

• Action comes on the directions of the NGT for non-compliance of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
• These had been releasing liquid waste and sewage generated without treatment at sewage and effluent treatment plants
• Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee had directed all three to set up plants and adhere to norms; however, the three failed to do so
• A three-member panel will utilise the Environmental Compensation Fund available with CPCC for restoration of environment

Work on treatment units underway, says chief engineer

• Work on STP and ETP underway at GMCH-32 and will be completed by August-end
• At GMSH-16, tenders have been floated and work will start soon, says UT Chief Engineer
• Earlier, the CPCC had served notice on PGI for not installing STP and ETP at the institution

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#Environment #PGI Chandigarh #Pollution