NGT to decide fate of common effluent treatment plants today

The fate of the three common effluent treatment plants (CETPs), which clear discharge of the dyeing Industry, will be decided tomorrow by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Delhi. For this important hearing, representatives from the industry and CETPs, officials from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), and members from the Public Action Committee (PAC) will be present during the hearing. The hearing is scheduled at 11 am at the NGT office in Delhi tomorrow.

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One of the officials with the PPCB wishing not to be quoted said there were different stake-holders, whose representatives would attend the hearing.

“Our part was to submit details. A 12-member high-level committee has been constituted by the state government to look into the matter. Representatives of the industry and CETPs will be present during the hearing and wait for the outcome,” the official said, adding that most of the times, field officials were asked to attend hearings as they were in a better position to answer questions of the NGT.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the Punjab Dyers Association also left for Delhi today to attend hearing as their entire future depends on the NGT orders.

“In case the NGT asks to shut the CETPs then the dyeing industry will be in real trouble. But we hope that the NGT is satisfied with replies prepared by departments concerned. We have been able to convince the tribunal that state government has the proposal of laying 22 km-sewer lines, but it did not materialise because of which dyeing industry is in tight spot,” said one of the members of the Punjab Dyers Association.

Kuldeep Singh Khaira, member of the core committee of Public Action Committee, which has filed the case against the PPCB and the dyeing industry in the NGT, said all four members of the panel had reached Delhi as the hearing was scheduled at 11am. “We hope to get justice,” said Khaira.