PATIALA: An executive committee to keep water bodies like Ghaggar and Sutlej clean, constituted by the National Green Tribunal today inspected a pilot project prepared by the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board as per the design suggested by the Punjab Pollution Control Board for bio treatment of wastewater coming from Bhadson MC area to Bhadson Drain.
The committee comprises of Chairman of the Executive Committee (Ghaggar River) and former Judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court Mr. Pritam Pal, Chairman of Monitoring Committee (Sutlej River) and former Judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Jasbir Singh, Members Former Chief Secretary of Punjab Mr. S.C. Agarwal, former Chief Secretary of Haryana Mrs. Urvashi Ghulati and Technical Expert Dr. Babu Ram was briefed about the entire project by Punjab Pollution Control Board Chairman SS Marwaha and the Member Secretary of the Board Er. Karunesh Garg.
Meanwhile, while inspecting the pilot project of bio remedial disposal of wastewater, team members Justice Pritam Pal and Justice Jasbir Singh said that they had reviewed this half MLD capacity of the project set up at Bhadson (Sirhind) Drain. The success rate of the project has been assessed to know that at what extent it can treat wastewater in a natural way so that the model can be replicated in other small cities too.
He said that as per the Water Act, not a single drop of untreated water could be disposed of in any river or drain to abide with the instructions issued by the National Green Tribunal. He said that after reviewing the pilot project, some further improvements have been suggested to the Pollution Control Board with an aim of less growth of bio remedial plants and he hoped that it would be improved in some time.
Justice Jasbir Singh said that if such projects got successful, with some improvements then these would be helpful to keep our water bodies clean.
The team directed the officials of Pollution Control Board and Local Government Department to follow the orders of the National Green Tribunal strictly and fully implement the Solid Waste Management Rules-2016 as well as make arrangements for the treatment of wastewater in a timely manner, otherwise they would have to face environment plenty or fines in future.
Interacting with media persons, Justice Jasbir Singh appealed to the general public not to throw garbage in the open rather it would be segregated as dry and wet and to be decomposed in small compost pits or by other means.
Meanwhile, the team inspected the arrangements made by the Nagar Panchayat Bhadson for the disposal of wet and dry garbage. The students of Young Farmers School and Government School Bhadson also performed awareness plays on Swachh Bharat.
Others who accompanied the team included ADC (D) Dr. Preeti Yadav, SDM Nabha Kala Ram Council, Deputy Director Local Government Jashanpreet Kaur, Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board Executive Engineer Lata Chauhan, Punjab Pollution Control Board Executive Engineer SS Matharu, Environmental Engineer Rajiv Goel, Nagar Panchayat President Chunni Lal, Executive Officer Amrik Singh, Nodal Officer Ashwani Kumar.