Notice served on effluent treatment plant in Baddi

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan,December 5

The State Pollution Control Board today served a notice on the management of Kenduwala-based Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) in the Baddi industrial area for failing to ensure treatment of the toxic waste as per the Hazardous Waste (Management and Handling) Rules.

Various irregularities had come to the fore during a surprise visit paid by the board officials last week where it was noticed that a large quantity of toxic sludge had been disposed of in the open in violation of the laid down rules. The waste is supposed to be disposed of in concrete pits to prevent any leaching impact in the soil. Since it is highly toxic in nature, its open disposal can lead to the soil and water pollution.

The officials also found that the pipe carrying untreated effluents had developed a leakage at the entry point and the toxic effluents were spilling into the open, thus contaminating the soil. The CETP was supposed to ensure the tertiary treatment of the plant so that the treated water was not toxic, but the plant management had failed to introduce the measure. The people residing in the vicinity had also complained to the board officials that the machinery run by the plant was causing noise pollution which had become a cause of disturbance.

Taking serious note of the violations, the Executive Engineer of the Board, Brij Bhushan, said a notice had been served on the plant management to remove the irregularities within a stipulated time. While a 15-day period has been given to take care of the high decibel noise emanating from the machinery, a month’s period has been extended to introduce tertiary treatment to ensure apt treatment of the effluents. The plant management has also been directed to ensure proper disposal of the sludge within a time-bound manner as the toxic waste has been callously dumped in the open.

The plant was set up to treat toxic effluents let out by various industrial units in a scientific manner to control environmental pollution. The emergence of such glaring irregularities has, however, put a question mark over its operations as it appears to be causing more pollution in the area.

The officials said the adherence of all rules would be ensured so that the area lying in its vicinity did not suffer environmental pollution in the future.

It was surprising to note that a plant which was supposed to check environmental pollution had itself violating the norms.