Fearing high water bills, residents not keen on sewerage connections in Nalagarh

Tribune News Service

Ambika Sharma

Solan, September 25

Residents of the Nalagarh civic body are reluctant to avail sewerage connections from the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) which was set up at a cost of Rs 20 crore.

The plant was established on the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) after it was found that the Sirsa river flowing in this industrial belt was contaminated with sewage. Its water was listed under Priority-III criteria by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in an assessment based on the biological oxygen demand, which is the dissolved oxygen needed by organisms to break down organic material, content. It was found to be between 8 and 16 mg per litre as against the safe limit of 3 mg per litre.

Executive Officer, Nalagarh civic body, RS Verma said 565 sewerage connections had been availed while 875, which had been sanctioned, were in the process of being connected. There were a total of 2,535 households in the civic body. A household has to spent Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 to avail the connection.

The setting up of the STP was supposed to contain the contamination of river water with sewage. The JSV constructed the STP and 1,954 household chambers in the nine wards of the town. Residents, however, failed to make its optimum use, fearing higher water bills.

As many as 75 notices were issued by the SDM a few months ago to direct the people to avail these connections, failing which water and power connections were supposed to be snapped. This, however, failed to help the civic body as the state government later clarified that since there is no such provision, the water and power could not be snapped, informed an official in the Nalagarh civic body.

In a bid to ensure compliance, a committee headed by the SDM was also constituted in August. The committee will monitor the progress of sanctioning and release of connections for the STP.

A survey is being conducted in the civic body to examine how many households had their own sewage tanks and how many were bereft of it. Once the survey is conducted, it can help in identifying the defaulters for further action, said Nalagarh SDM Mahendra Pal.

Over 2.5K households

• A total of 565 sewerage connections have been availed while 875 households will be connected to the system soon
• There are a total of 2,535 households in Nalagarh MC. A household has to spent Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 for the connection

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#Environment #Nalagarh #National Green Tribunal NGT #Pollution #sirsa