Six STPs found exceeding limits of effluents in Rewari

Ravinder Saini

Rewari, January 27

The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB)’s regional office at Dharuhera town has recommended the imposition of environmental compensation against six sewage treatment plants (STPs) operated in the district after being found exceeding the prescribed limit of various parameters.

Five of the STPs are being operated by the Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) on the Nasaiji Road, Kaluwas, Bawal, Kharkara villages and one by Haryana Shahri Vikas Parishad (HSVP) in Dharuhera town.

Violations galore

• STPs found not complying with the prescribed limit of biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, suspended solids and faecal coliform levels

“The recommendation has been made after the samples from inlet and outlet of the STPs collected by a joint inspection committee were found exceeding the prescribed limit in the analysis report prepared by the Board laboratory in Faridabad. The report also suggested that various parameters of effluents from the outlet of the STPs were not as per the standards fixed by the HSPCB,” said the sources, adding that the report had recently been submitted by the district authorities to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in connection with a case filed by Prakash Yadav, a resident of Kharkara village in the district.

In his complaint, Yadav claimed that sewage from various STPs established in Rewari district was being discharged in hundreds of acres of vacant land of Sahabi river near Kharkhara and Khaliawas villages on the Delhi-Jaipur National Highway. The consequent water-logging had contaminated the groundwater, while the contaminated water that came out from handpump and tube-well also gave a foul smell, he added

“The stagnated sewage has also destroyed trees and other vegetation on the land, which will become infertile if no action is taken to prevent such discharge of sewage. Residents of villages Kharkhara, Khaliawas, Bhatsana, Tatarroop, Nikhri, Masani, Rasgan, Dungerwas, Titherpur, Alawalpur and Dharuhera etc have become vulnerable to waterborne diseases following the prevailing situation,” he added.

Yadav told The Tribune that taking up his complaint, the NGT had, on September 30 last year, sought an action taken report from the district authorities which constituted a joint committee led by Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Rewari to verify the factual position. Officials of the HSPCB, PHED, Irrigation Department and Rewari Municipal Council were other members of the committee.

“As per inspection and sample-taken report, the STPs are not found to be complying with the prescribed limit of biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, suspended solids and faecal coliform levels,” Yadav added.

Vinod Balyan, Regional Office, HSPCB, Dhaurhera, while confirming the recommendation for environment compensation against six STPs, said the head office was likely to impose a penalty on these soon.