The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration has issued a directive requiring all water-polluting industries in the district to obtain separate electricity connections for their effluent treatment plants (ETPs). This move follows complaints that industries were discharging untreated waste into drains by keeping their ETPs switched off. The new measure aims to monitor the functioning of these plants through power consumption data.
Monitoring Through Power Consumption
District Magistrate Medha Roopam stated that the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has been tasked with ensuring compliance and preparing a list of all industries connected to drains and rivers in the district. “Companies will now be required to obtain separate electricity connections for their ETPs. Every industrialist must strictly adhere to water pollution norms,” Roopam said.
Officials explained that the move is intended to strengthen surveillance on industrial discharge into drains that are linked to the Hindon and Yamuna rivers. If electricity consumption recorded on an ETP meter is found to be unusually low, the treatment plant may be presumed nonfunctional, prompting further inspection.
Additional Verification Measures
Beyond monitoring power usage, the administration will also examine purchase bills, GST records, and other documents related to chemicals used by industries. This will help verify whether treatment systems are being operated properly.
A UPPCB official confirmed that all water-polluting industries in GB Nagar have ETPs installed. “There are around 150 such industries across the district, of which nearly 65 are in Greater Noida alone. Directions regarding separate electricity connections for ETPs have been issued and compliance is awaited,” the official said.
Officials noted that no industry directly discharges wastewater into the Hindon River. However, industrial effluent reaches the river through connected drains, making it essential to regulate discharge at the source.
