Untreated wastewater raises stink in Yamuna, Ghaggar rivers

: Tapping millions of litres of untreated effluent being discharged into Yamuna and Ghaggar rivers in Haryana is still a long way to go for the authorities as over half of sewage treatment plants situated in the catchment areas of these water bodies fail to comply with the prescribed standards, besides the tardy pace of diverting sewage from unauthorised colonies falling into the streams at over 50 locations. Untreated wastewater raises stink in Yamuna, Ghaggar rivers The status report of the implementation of the River Action Plans revealed that out of the total 156 sewage treatment plants located in the catchment areas of the two rivers, only 76 were complying as per the directions of the National Green Tribunal, while the rest do not meet the prescribed standards. The issues were discussed in the meeting about the River Action Plan held last month and it was revealed that the officials of the concerned department had submitted the action plan for the upgrade of STPs to achieve faecal coliform standards, but they have not completed the work so far. Asked about the delay in diverting effluent from the rivers, Haryana Pollution Control Board member secretary Pardeep Kumar said, “the chief minister himself is monitoring the work of diverting effluent from both the rivers and in the last meeting held last month, he had sought the details of the pending project and a meeting in this regard is proposed on November 24.” Work of the common effluent treatment plants at Faridabad has not been started so far by the urban local bodies department.