Paryavaran Suraksha Samithi and Prakruti Suraksha Samithi, two Gujarat-based NGOs working to save the environment, have sent yet another letter to the Centre accusing Narmada Clean Tech (NCT) in Ankleshwar of violating pollution norms stipulated by the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal. The actions of NCT and many industries located in Ankleshwar and Panoli amount to contempt of the Supreme Court order, the NGOs noted.
The untreated, raw sewage and industrial effluent from the Final Effluent Treatment Plant (FETP) of NCT has been consistently unable to meet the prescribed norms and concerned authorities are not taking any actions, the NGOs reminded in the letter to the Ministry of Environment, to Forest and Climate Change, to Ministry of Jal Shakti and to the Central Pollution Control Board.
“It has been found that the inlet and outlet parameters of NCT are in a continued and consistent violation of environmental norms, which has led to varied irreversible environmental damages, including contamination of the groundwater and surface water in the referred areas. Only non-serious notices are issued by the concerned authorities as a matter of routine practices which led to the irreversible damage to the surface, groundwater, other water sources, and agriculture,” stated Krishnakant of Paryavaran Suraksha Samithi.
NCT, a subsidiary of Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation under the PPP (public-private partnership) model, deals with wastewater management and disposal of industries across Ankleshwar, Panoli and Jhagadia in Bharuch.
The letter further added it has also been observed that around 4-5 MLD of untreated sewage is used by the FETP to mix with the industrial wastewater for dilution. “Dilution is not the solution to treat the effluents and NCT should not be allowed to use untreated sewage for dilution. Despite this illegal use of untreated sewage, FETP is unable to meet the prescribed norms. This is not only a consistent and admitted violation of environmental laws and prescribed norms, but also an accepted, known, admitted, and consistent violation of the order of the Supreme Court,” the letter stated.
Mr Krishnakant added: “We have been sending letters to the concerned authorities about the violations and the non-compliance of the Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal Order by NCT, Notified Area Authority of Ankleshwar and Notified Area Authority of Panoli. We expect the concerned authorities to respect the law of land, and the order of the court to address the grievances of the affected people by implementing the said Order of the court.”
