Curb pollution in Yamuna before Chhath: Chief Secretary to DCs

Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi has directed the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of districts adjoining the Yamuna to ensure proper cleaning of the river and nearby drains ahead of Chhath Puja. The directions were issued during a virtual meeting held with DCs of Yamunanagar, Karnal, Panipat, Sonepat, Jhajjar, Gurugram and Faridabad.

Rastogi instructed the officers to adopt effective measures to curb pollution and to ensure visible improvement in the water quality of the Yamuna before the festival.

“Deputy Commissioners must ensure the cleaning of the Yamuna and all drains in their respective districts and take every possible step to control pollution,” the Chief Secretary said.

Pradeep Dagar, Member Secretary, Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), said the government’s prime focus was on controlling pollution in the Yamuna and NCR districts. “Special meetings have already been held in Sonepat and Panipat, where strict directions were issued to officials to take action against violators of pollution control norms,” he said.

According to a senior HSPCB official, the main emphasis of both the state and Central governments is to make the Yamuna pollution-free. “Drains flowing through Yamunanagar, Karnal, Panipat, Sonepat, Gurugram, Jhajjar and Faridabad districts meet the Yamuna, contributing to its pollution. Officials have now been directed to conduct surprise checks of STPs, CETPs, and ETPs in industries and to lay check nakas near drains to ensure that biological oxygen demand (BOD) levels are reduced,” the official added.

In Sonepat, Deputy Commissioner Sushil Sarwan directed HSIIDC officials to coordinate with industries to prevent discharge of untreated effluent. “No one should discharge industrial effluent into open or storm drains. All STPs and CETPs should function at full capacity,” Sarwan said, adding that the focus was to bring down BOD levels in the Yamuna and other water bodies ahead of Chhath.

Sarwan also instructed the Irrigation Department to divide Drain Number 6 into six segments and check BOD levels at each segment separately.

In Panipat, Deputy Commissioner Dr Virender Kumar Dahiya directed pollution control officials to ensure proper cleaning of water resources, especially near Chhath Puja ghats, and to monitor the functioning of effluent treatment systems.

“A nodal officer has been deployed to monitor the performance of CETPs and STPs to ensure they operate efficiently,” Dr. Dahiya said.