Identify and disconnect industrial wastewater connections polluting Sabarmati river: Gujarat HC

Gujarat HC Image Courtesy:counterview.net

The Gujarat High Court has directed the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to identify and disconnect, at the earliest, the unauthorised industrial wastewater connections to the CETP mega pipeline that disposes treated waste into the Sabarmati river.

In an interim order, Justices J. B. Pardiwala and Vaibhav D. Nanavati gave a slew of instructions to the AMC, after a Joint Task Force (JTF) report revealed the dismal functioning of the Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs). The report said that the STPs were never properly reviewed or evaluated and systematic problems were left unquestioned. It even stated that the AMC has no record of operational status and issues.

“The need of generation of authentic data of sewage/ wastewater generation, disposal and characterization itself shows the lack of institutional coordination and functional mechanism… stakeholders like STP operators, AMC and GPCB are working in a fragmented manner with lack of coordination,” found the report. The team said that a huge volume of data was generated from the SCADA system, online analyzers and laboratory analysis but remained unverified and unused for corrective measures. Therefore, it called the STPs malfunction a “systemic” rather than technical issue and called for more frequent and rigorous review of the plants.

Based on these and more findings, the Court called for immediate identification of the unauthorised sewage connections. Further, it requested the AMC Commissioner and State Chief Secretary to work together to ensure the Court’s directions are complied with in letter and spirit. It also requested the Chief Secretary to keep a close watch on the present public interest litigation and extend full cooperation.

“We lay much stress on this particular direction [because] if we want to achieve good and positive results, then such identification is a must and it should be undertaken at the earliest. We direct that the identification and disconnection of all such unauthorized connections shall be done by the owner of the respective pipeline network. The actions and the outcome shall be shared among stakeholders from time to time,” said the court.

It directed the AMC to explore possible means to treat the sewage in the carrying drains until arrangements for sewerage system and STPs are ensured. Similarly, the AMC will consider the provision of neutralisation of wastewater received at STPs to prevent the disturbance of the biological treatment system of the STP.

“This would also protect the river as well as the plant machinery. This provision would be preventive. The identification and check on the unauthorised acidic effluent discharge shall be ensured through coordinated surveillance,” observed the Court.

Acknowledging the shortcomings of laboratories as mentioned in the JTF report, the Court directed the administration to look into the affairs of the laboratories in all respects. The Court said that laboratories are not functioning in the manner expected by the law for such labs, and that it is the Gujarat Pollution Control Board’s (GPCB) duty to keep a close watch on the labs because it relied on their furnished data.

“If there are inefficient or unqualified people or technicians in the laboratories, then the contract should be immediately terminated… and fresh appointments shall be made of qualified and efficient staff,” said the court order.

Accordingly, the court directed the AMC to regularly verify and strengthen continuous online analysers for data reliability and provide the JTF with the necessary details of hot spot zones identified on the basis of the PH monitoring at all pumping stations. Moreover, all Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) shall ensure operational Online Monitoring of Industrial Emission & Effluent (OCEMS) with connectivity with the GPCB portal. CETPs shall list out technical reasons for non-compliance.