Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 9: Division Bench of the State High Court comprising Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sanjeev Kumar today constituted high powered committee headed by Divisional Commissioner to present pollution of River Tawi.
The committee will be comprised of Chairman, Pollution Control Board, Commissioner Municipal Corporation Jammu, Yash Pal, Scientist of Pollution Control Board, IGP Jammu, CEO ERA and Advocate CM Koul, who has volunteered himself to assist the committee as Court Commissioner.
The committee has been asked to convene meeting within a period of one week from today and address the issues responsible for pollution of River Tawi. The committee has also been asked to apprise the DB with regard to the time lines within which remedial action shall be taken to prevent the pollution in River Tawi as well as to ensure healthy environment to residents of city of Jammu.
“The committee shall submit its status report within a period of three weeks from today and indicate alternative dumping site till permanent arrangement is made so as to prevent the minimal threat of pollution to the River Tawi”, the DB directed.
Earlier, when the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) came-up for hearing, Division Bench observed, “by an order dated 28.07.2017, this court had appointed Sunil Sethi, Senior Advocate and C M Koul, Advocate as Commissioners to visit and inspect site of the Sewage Treatment Plants constructed at Bhagwati Nagar”.
“Pursuant to this order, both the counsels had inspected the Sewage Treatment Plants on 31.07.2014 along with K J Sharma, Assistant Executive Engineer (Mechanical) Urban Environmental Engineering Department (UEED) and Senior AAG S S Nanda”, the DB said, adding the committee in its report has recorded several findings.
According to the report of this committee, the Sewage Treatment Plant at Bhagwati Nagar is operational to the extent of 40% only. It has also been pointed out that the Sewage Treatment Plant was commissioned in the year 2012 but despite lapse of five years, the plant has not been made functional to its full capacity.
Another Sewage Treatment Plant was stated to be having the capacity of 30 MLD per day. But, as per the report of the committee, it is not working to its full strength and has also been made operational to its minimal capacity. Sewage Treatment Plant with the capacity of treating 27 MLD per day was stated to be fully non-operational but the entire old city and areas like Bakshi Nagar and Sarwal are yet to be connected to the Sewage Treatment Plant as a result of which toxic waste is still flowing into River Tawi.
It has also been mentioned in the report that dumping site measuring 100 kanals is adjacent to the bank of River Tawi where entire sewage waste is not being treated and the untreated garbage/waste will affect the health of the residents of the adjoining villages.
The Court Commissioners informed the DB that they were apprised by the Commissioner Municipal Corporation Jammu that the area measuring 100 kanals at Kot Balwal has been identified as dumping site where garbage will be treated and protected and will be made fit for industrial use.
The committee has stressed upon the need of shifting the open dumping site adjacent to River Tawi immediately to some other place as it is causing pollution. “Moreover, the open dumping site is situated adjacent to the airport where the birds accumulate in large numbers which may result in any accident to aircrafts”, the report said.
“The perusal of the report reveals that situation is alarming and River Tawi is virtually dying. The officers of Municipal Corporation Jammu as well as Pollution Control Board so far have not taken the matter seriously and the Sewage Treatment Plants have also not been made operational fully”, the DB observed, adding “the issue cannot brook any delay as such we deem it appropriate to constitute high powered committee”.
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