100 cusecs of domestic effluent flows into Jamuna canal, notices issued

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, June 23

About 100 cusecs of domestic effluent (over 2,800 litre discharge per second) flows into the Western Jamuna Canal, which is supplying water for drinking and irrigation purpose to Delhi and several districts of southern Haryana.

This startling fact has been highlighted in a report sent to the River Yamuna Monitoring Committee, Haryana, by the Irrigation and Water Resources Department, Yamunanagar, in March.

After sending the report, the authorities of the Irrigation Department issued notices to the Municipal Corporation, Yamunanagar-Jagadhri, Municipal Committee, Radaur, block development and panchayat officers, Radaur, Jagadhri and Chhachhrauli, and the executive engineer of the Public Health Engineering Department.

When officers of the departments concerned failed to take any action, Haridev Kamboj, Executive Engineer, Water Services Division, Dadupur, issued them notices again under Section 58 of Haryana Canal and Drainage Act, 1974, to stop the discharge of domestic effluent into the canal on June 20.

Sources said the Irrigation Department had found that domestic effluent, including sewage and water of sewage treatment plants (STPs), was being flown into the canal at 19 places in villages and urban areas of Yamunanagar district.

Several nullahs didn’t even have screens to stop garbage from entering into the canal. At some nullahs, screens had been installed but they were clogged with garbage, the sources added.

Haridev said the supply of treated and untreated water into the Western Jamuna Canal was completely banned.

“As per notification of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation on October 7, 2016, no person shall discharge, directly or indirectly, any untreated sewage or sewage sludge into the Ganga river or its tributaries (Yamuna, which feeds the WJC) or its banks,” said Kamboj.

He said the canal fulfilled 60 per cent requirement of water of Haryana besides supplying water to Delhi.

“About 17,000 cusecs of water flows into this canal. But, from July 1 about 18,000 cusecs of water will be released into the canal. As a result, the sewage of several nullahs will go back and affect the nearby residential areas. Therefore, we have asked the officers of the departments concerned to stop discharge of such nullahs into the WJC,” said Kamboj.

Taking remedial steps, says DC

Deputy Commissioner Amna Tasneem said the issue was being taken seriously and steps would be taken to tackle the problem. “Besides the existing STPs, more STPs and ETPs (effluent treatment plants) will be set up in future to solve the problem of effluent and domestic effluent,” said Tasneem.