Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 27: High court judge Tashi Rabstan today directed the state to go ahead with the installation of sewage treatment plant (STP) at Agling, Leh.
The court directive came in a petition, seeking quashment of pollution control board's March 14, 2016 consent order No 1638 issued by it through its member secretary vide serial No SPCB/T/C/40/5540-43 in favour of PHE executive engineer, Leh, for establishment of STP at Agling on the ground that it was in violation of Air Prevention and Control of Pollution Act, 1981, Water Prevention and Control of Pollution Act, 1974, and Environment Protection Act, 1986. After hearing the two sides, Justice Rabstan disposed of the petition with a direction to respondent No 3 to go ahead with the STP installation at Agling. However, it would be strictly in terms of the conditions as contained in the impugned consent order and the mandatory standards as were prescribed for establishment of such STPs, he ordered. The respondent No 3 was directed to construct and design the STP in such a way that it 'doesn't emit any foul smell nor pollutes the water stream which is adjacent to the proposed STP, rather it must be good for keeping the environment clear and also good for public at large'. While establishing the STP, the respondent No 3 would also strictly follow and implement the observations made by National Green Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi, in application No 124/2013 titled as 'Kehar Singh v/s State of Haryana which was decided on September 12, 2013, Justice Rabstan said.
"It is made clear that sewerage department shall not operate STP until the pollution control board issues its consent to operate afresh. Further, keeping in view the topography of Leh and the period of working season which is very less, generally from April to September, the agency is expected to construct and complete the STP with utmost expedition," the court said. (JNF) |
