A high-level review meeting of the Yamuna Action Plan on Saturday put tanker operators in the crosshairs for allegedly dumping sewage into open areas and drains in Gurgaon and Jhajjar. The Haryana police are now set to take strict action, including issuing challans and filing First Information Reports (FIRs) against the violators.
Crackdown on Pollution Conduits
The joint review meeting, held in Gurgaon, saw participation from senior officials of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) and representatives from multiple civic bodies including the GMDA, MCG, MCM, Bahadurgarh municipal council, Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran, HSIIDC, and the public health engineering department. Police officials were also involved in the discussions.
The meeting focused on the progress of measures to curb pollution in specific drains identified as major pollution pathways: Badshahpur Leg I, II, and III in Gurgaon, and Drain No. 8 and the Mungeshpur drain in Jhajjar. These drains, originally meant for stormwater, have become conduits for untreated domestic sewage and industrial waste, which eventually flow into the Yamuna via the Najafgarh drain.
Stringent Directives Issued to Agencies
The HSPCB issued several directives to ensure time-bound implementation of the action plan. Departments were instructed to strictly follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) at Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and submit detailed compliance reports. Officials stated that sludge output from these plants would be tracked regularly to assess if they meet prescribed standards.
Civic agencies in Gurgaon and Jhajjar were asked to prepare a comparative report on household sewer connections, detailing earlier coverage and current status. A special drive and awareness programmes were ordered to bring more homes onto the formal sewer network.
An HSPCB officer emphasized, "Treated wastewater from STPs should be reused to the maximum extent, including in parks and green belts in private colonies." The board also warned that illegal industrial units and unauthorized Ready-Mix Concrete (RMC) plants would face action under environmental laws.
Focus on Coordination and Waste Management
Agencies were directed to quantify the waste removed during drain-cleaning operations and ensure that plastic and other rubbish is not dumped back into the drains. Departments were also told to strictly enforce SOPs for solid-waste handling. Officials stressed that improved inter-agency coordination is crucial for enhancing the water quality in these drains that ultimately discharge into the Yamuna.
In a related development, HSPCB officials inspected the continuous ambient air-quality monitoring stations at Vikas Sadan and Sector 51 to assess the real-time data systems, equipment, and their maintenance.
