HC whip on sewage treatment plant

The Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Wednesday maintained its tough stand on pollution caused due discharging city's sewage into Nag river which is ultimately polluting the Gosikhurd reservoir. On Wednesday, during a marathon hearing, the court asked Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to send a revised detailed project report (DPR) of sewage treatment plant (STP) in northern area of the city along with the funds required for it to the state government in a week.

The government was asked to consider corporation's proposal within three months and approve it. After getting green signal from the government, the NMC was asked to submit DPR to the Central Public Health Environment Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO) in two weeks.

A division bench comprising justices Dilip Sinha and Ashok Bhangale stated that the court expected CPHEEO to take a decision on NMC's proposal in six weeks. The court was hearing a suo motu plea on the media reports highlighting civic body's apathy in discharging city's raw sewage into Nag river that subsequently pollutes Gosikhurd water.

Earlier, NMC counsel CS Kaptan informed that the STP project report was sent to CPHEEO but they sent it back asking for a revised proposal. However, it needed state's allocation letter to send back the revised proposal which was ready. The court then asked the NMC to send the proposal to Maharashtra Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) which is nodal authority for sanctioning funds under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Rural Development Mission (JNNURM). The MMRDA is to study the proposal and sent allocation/prioritization letter in three months. Additional government pleader Bharti Dangre informed that the revised cost for the project was Rs 473.18 crore.

The judges observed that the city generated over 400 MLD waste and immediate steps were needed otherwise it would affect the public adversely. "We want all public bodies to take urgent decision in this regard," the judges observed.