High Court directs state to give details of STPs

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, February 17

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the state, Director, Local Government, and Director, Rural Development and Panchayat, to come out with information on sewage treatment plants (STPs) in both municipal/urban and rural areas of the state. Among other things, they have been asked to file affidavits on the number of STPs constructed and the capacity of the established ones.

Affidavit sought

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Among other things, the Punjab Government has been asked to file affidavits on the number of STPs constructed and the capacity of the established ones.

The direction came as Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj of the high court was apprised of ‘larger issues’ involved in the matter, such as significant deficit in the number of STPs required to handle the total affluent discharge in the municipal/rural areas of the state.

Justice Bhardwaj was hearing a petition filed against the state and other respondents by the Parent Teacher Association and another petitioner through senior advocate RS Khosla with counsel Yogender Verma.

Justice Bhardwaj observed that the grievance espoused in the writ petition was regarding the discharge of untreated sewage/sludge around a school in a village. Photographs were also appended to substantiate the contentions.

He further observed that a similar petition had earlier come up for hearing before the court, wherein notice of motion had already been issued. “A larger issue has, however, been raised by the senior counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners that there was a huge deficit in the requirement of the STPs required to be installed/functioning in the state as against the total affluent discharge in the municipal/rural areas.”

Justice Bhardwaj also took note of the contention that the STPs in most places had not been established and the ones set up had been rendered dysfunctional following the lack of resources. Issuing notice of motion on the plea to the state and the other respondents, the Bench made it clear that affidavits were also required to mention the total affluent discharge in the urban and rural areas, the total fund allocation for the operation of the STPs during the past five years, the test reports of the treated water/discharge from the plants and the discharge arrangements after treatment of the water.

Before parting with the order, Justice Bhardwaj set a six-week deadline for the filing of the affidavits. The case will now come up for further hearing on April 9.