Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding pollution of Lassara drain, Ludhiana, Punjab, 08/12/2023
Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Avtar Singh & Others Vs State of Punjab & Others dated 08/12/2023.
The original application under Section 14 and 15 of National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 has been registered, considering the grievance that Jargari drain constructed by the villagers, crosses under the First Patiala Feeder Canal and outfalls into the Lassara drain and that Lassara, which is an interstate drain, has no outfall and it has become a pond.
Their further plea is that 29 MLD sewage treatment plant was constructed for Khanna town but the said STP plant is not operating and sewage water is flowing to Jargari drain and finally the pipeline has been left open stream of siphon below the first Patiala Feeder Canal which is not cleaned because the drain downstream of the siphon i.e. Lassara Drain does not have any outfall. Resultantly, the flow of water is obstructed and water stagnates in the drain and further overflows and stands in the fields of the applicants and other residents of the area.
Further, issue has been raised that stagnating water is leading to killing/drying of the trees in the area and that the test report of the sample of the untreated water shows that BOD level and fecal coliform level is more than the prescribed standards; BOD level of the sample is 55 mg per litre against the prescribed level of 30 mg per litre; and the Fecal Coliform Level in MPN/100 ML is 94000 against the prescribed standard of less than 1000.
It is also the grievance of applicant that since there is no outfall flow of the effluent, the untreated/partially treated effluent either keeps on seeping underground or getting stagnated in the ponds or private land of the applicant and other landowners of village Jargari which has become a constant health hazard.
The NGT in its previous order of September 15, 2023 had directed a joint committee to be constituted and submission of a report. However, no report has been filed till date. The NGT, December 8 directed the joint committee to submit the report positively by December 14, 2023 failing which the District Magistrate, Ludhiana would appear on the next date (December 15, 2023).