Joint Committee report on steps to contain pollution of river Ghaggar, Punjab, 03/01/2022
Report of the Joint Committee in the matter of Original Application No. 124 of 2021 (Sunaina Vs State of Punjab & Others) in compliance of the National Green Tribunal orders (June 4, 2021 and September 22, 2021).
The matter related to failure of statutory authorities in Punjab and Chandigarh to install necessary sewage treatment plant, resulting in discharge of pollution in the drain originating from Chandigarh and passing through various sectors and villages of Mohali, before merging into Ghaggar river.
The report stated that various STPs installed in the catchment area of N Choe/drain were found to be operational with BOD values ranging between 13-28 mg/l during monsoon monitoring and between 5.1 -23 mg/l during monsoon monitoring. The STPs have been asked to meet the updated norms (BOD as 10 mg/l) issued by the MoEF&CC.
Untreated wastewater/sewage from village Jagatpura, Amb Sahib Colony, village Kambala, Papri, Manauli and Dairi was being discharged into the N-Choe/Jagatpura drain during both monsoon and post monsoon seasons. There is no arrangement of collection and treatment of sewage and wastewater from these villages located in Mohali, Punjab.
In addition to the above village, other villages of Mohali and many villages of the Patiala region, in the vicinity of the drain are discharging untreated sewage into the drain, leading to river Ghaggar.
At Haddarodi (carcass removal site) located near the N Choe drain, Kharajpur, tehsil Rajpura, both the liquid and solid waste from this site is being discharged into the drain leading to river Ghaggar.