The Delhi High Court Wednesday issued notice to the environment ministry on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions for steps to prevent treated effluent from sewerage treatment plants (STPs) from entering water bodies and polluting them.
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw also sought the response from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Delhi Jal Board by May 10 while issuing notices.
Environmentalist Vinod Jain moved the court alleging that the treated effluent from the STPs are channelled into the water bodies, contaminating the ground water.
Jain, in his petition, said: “The treated sewage water is not only polluting the water bodies but also contaminating the ground water.”
“Unless the STPs’ efficiency is raised, the water bodies shall always receive unclean water,” Jain submitted in his petition seeking the court’s direction to government to ensure that the treated sewage water from various treatment plants meet the guidelines framed by the CPCB.
The petition stated that there is no effort on the part of government to improve the efficiency of the existing STPs and asked the court to monitor the issue.
