NGT monitoring committee asks PPCB to setup 3 CETPs at Ludhiana by June 30, 2020

Decides to hold regional conference on environment on Feb 7 at Ludhiana

Chandigarh: The National Green Tribunal Monitoring Committee on December 23 directed the Punjab Pollution Control Board to take proactive steps for expeditious setting up of three Common Effluent Treatment Plants for textile dyeing units in Ludhiana by June 30, 2020 besides conducting regular inspections of industries in the catchment areas of rivers to check water pollution.
While reviewing the progress of implementation of Action Plans for Clean Rivers of Punjab during its 8th meeting, the NGT Committee Chairman Justice Jasbir Singh gave directions to Punjab Pollution Control Board for timely completion of the CETPs and also directed all the departments concerned to adhere to the timelines of the Action Plans for pollution control measures. The progress w.r.t water quality of polluted rivers stretches, functioning of various Sewerage Treatment Plants(STPs), Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs), Effluent Treatment Plants(ETPs) installed in Industries and various other development works for setting up of treatment facilities in industrial, urban and rural areas during the month of November, 2019 had also been reviewed by the Committee. Action taken on decisions/recommendations during field visits of the Committee by the concerned departments was also reviewed.
The committee observed that non-compliance by STPs has been reduced from 45 % in April 2019 to 20 % in November 2019 due to effective monitoring and improvement on operational practices. IIT, Ropar made a presentation on management plan for transportation of industrial effluents of electroplating units and its treatment at CETP Ludhiana. The committee also reviewed the progress for development of integrated dashboard for online monitoring, installation of 11 Real Time Water Quality Monitoring Stations, development of low-cost sensors for water quality monitoring and Management Information System (MIS) for EPMS. It was also decided to organize a Regional Conference on environment on February 7, 2020 at Ludhiana to sensitize the residents about the ill effects of pollution and action being taken by Govt. for abatement of the same.
Prominent amongst those present in the meeting included members of the committee former Chief Secretary Punjab Subodh Aggarwal, renowned environmentalist Sant Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal and former Member Secretary PPCB Babu Ram, Principal Secretary Science, Technology and Environment R.K. Verma, Principal Secretary Local Government A Venu Prasad, Chairman PPCB Dr. S.S. Marwaha and Additional Commissioner Municipal Corporation Ludhiana Sanyam Aggarwal.