4 depts get notice for failing to stop effluent flow into canal
The Irrigation and Water Resources Department has put four departments, including Municipal Corporation of the Yamunanagar-Jagadhri, on final notice asking them to stop the flow of domestic effluents into Western Jamuna Canal (WJC). It has warned them of lodging FIRs in case they fail to take corrective measures.
On July 17, the notices were served on the Executive Officer, MC, Yamunanagar-Jagadhri; Executive Officer, Municipal Committee, Radaur; Executive Engineer, Public Health Engineering Department; and Block Development and Panchayat Officers of Jagadhri, Chhachhrauli and Radaur blocks.
Domestic effluents, including sewage and water from sewage treatment plants (STPs), villages and urban areas in the district are dumped into the WJC at 21 places.
As per a report by the department, in March 2019, about 100 cusecs of domestic effluents (more than 2,800 litres discharge per second) was flown into the WJC (in the area falling between Dadupur Head and Radaur town).
Water from the WJC is supplied to Delhi and districts of southern Haryana for drinking and irrigation purposes.
Haridev Kamboj, Executive Engineer of the Water Services Division, Dadupur, said the WJC fulfilled 60 per cent requirement of Haryana, besides supplying water to Delhi. “The supply of treated and untreated water from the WJC has been banned,” he said.
“As per a notification by the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation of October 7, 2016, no person shall discharge, directly or indirectly, any untreated sewage or sewage sludge into the Ganga river or its tributaries (Yamuna river is a tributary of the Ganga and the WJC is fed by the Yamuna) or its banks,” the official said.
He said the department had issued notices to the four departments earlier as well, but it didn’t yield any result.
“This time, we have served final notices on them. If the departments fail to stop the discharge of domestic effluents into the canal, we will soon lodge FIRs against them under Section 58 of the Haryana Canal and Drainage Act; Sections 7 and 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act; Sections 24, 25, 26, 43 and 44 of the Water Prevention and Control of Pollution Act; and Section 432 (mischief by causing obstruction to any public drainage attended with injury or damage) of the IPC,” Kamboj added.