Sonepat drain badly polluted, NGT told

Mukesh Tandon

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Panipat, November 9

The drain no. 6 flowing in Sonepat-Kundli region, which falls into the Yamuna later, is badly polluted, according to an inspection conducted on the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

It was revealed in the inspection carried out by a joint committee comprising a member each of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Following the directions of the NGT on August 2, the joint committee carried out inspections and found severe pollution in the drain.

Dr Lokesh Kumar, a resident of Sonepat district, in his complaint filed with the NGT said the drain passes from Sonepat via Barota to Piau Maniyari/Kundli and finally reaches Delhi. The drain is maintained by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department but is filled with trash, garbage, silt, litter and sludge. It is not cleaned and dredged on a periodic basis and is in a very critical condition. It overflows into drain no. 8 and pollutes the same.

Following the complaint, the NGT had constituted a joint committee and sought factual and action taken report into the matter.

The joint committee inspected the region and collected samples from various places of both drains and submitted a detailed report to the NGT.

As per the report submitted to the NGT, the committee found ammoniacal nitrogen concentration from 2.24 to 16.24mg/litre and a large number of fecal coliform bacteria (over 400 MPN/100ml) in water samples. It observed that drain no. 6 was carrying highly coloured waste water, an indicator of severe water pollution. The entire area along the drain permeated with a foul smell.

Untreated discharge from the Sonepat MC was also being done at several places. It is estimated that about 31.48MLD of untreated sewage is discharged from 27 untapped points, the report says. The committee also suggested a detailed toxicology study of the drain by some institute.

It was also mentioned in the report that environmental compensation (EC) of Rs 15 lakh has been imposed upon Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) for non-functional seven MLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Gannaur and Rs 15 lakh environmental compensation (EC) has been imposed upon the HSIIDC department for non-functional Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) at Barhi.