Panipat drain No. 1 a dump of effluent, samples fail on all parameters

Tribune News Service

Mukesh Tandon

Panipat, February 16

Drain No. 1 flowing in the middle of the textile city is badly polluted. This has been revealed in the recent reports on the levels of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), fecal coliform and dissolved oxygen in the drain. All of these parameters have been found to exceed the prescribed limits.

Will shift sewage flow to STPs: Official

• The poor condition of the drain is despite the fact that a total of 10 sewage treatment plants (STPs), with a combined capacity of 168.8 MLD, are operational in the city
• The total generation of sewage in the Municipal Corporation (MC) area is approximately 98 MLD, of which only 74 MLD is being treated by the STPs and the remaining 24 MLD waste is flowing directly into drain No.1
• Bhupender Singh Chahal, RO, HSPCB, said as many as 47 permanent points had been identified from where the colonies’ domestic sewage was being discharged into drain No. 1, which was the main reason for the increasing pollution in the water body
• He added that an action plan would be made to shift 100 per cent sewage flow to the STPs for its treatment

The Haryana State Pollution Board (HSPCB) has identified 47 points from where direct domestic sewage is flowing into the drain.

The main cause behind the failure of samples was the flowing of untreated sewage and industrial effluent discharged directly into drain No. 1 at various spots.

The poor condition of the drain is a reality when a total of 10 sewage treatment plants (STPs), with a combined capacity of 168.8 MLD, are operational in the city.

As per sources, the total generation of sewage in the Municipal Corporation (MC) area is approximately 98 MLD, of which only 74 MLD is being treated by the STPs and the remaining 24 MLD waste is flowing directly into drain No. 1, which later joins drain No. 2 and then joins the Yamuna.

A total 10 STPs, including two at Sewah of 25 MLD and 35 MLD capacities; two on Jatal road with the capacity of 20 MLD and 10 MLD; 30 MLD STP on Barsat road; 0.8 MLD STP in Sector-6 and 5 MLD STP in Samalkha; 25 MLD STP at Barsat road, a 15 MLD STP in Dev Colony and 3 MLD STP in Sewah village, are operational here.

Sources said the recent report has shocked the HSPCB as well as the district administration as all parameters of drain No. 1 were found exceeding the limits. According to the report, the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) was found 90 against the permissible limit 3 only; the fecal coliform was found over 5,000 against the permissible limit of 500 and the dissolved oxygen was negligible in the drain, while it should ideally be five.

After getting the report, HSPCB officials conducted a survey and identified 47 points between Kabri and Chautala road from where sewage was being discharged into the drain and collected samples from these points.

Bhupender Singh Chahal, RO, HSPCB, said as many as 47 permanent points have been identified from where the colonies’ domestic sewage was being discharged into drain No. 1, which was the main reason for the increasing pollution in the water body. Samples from all these 47 points have been taken and sent to laboratories, Chahal added. The MC authorities were also informed about tapping these 47 points, he said.

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