The Chhattisgarh High Court has taken cognizance of the pollution of the Arpa River and directed the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Bilaspur, to expedite efforts to address the issue.
The court’s order came in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Arvind Kumar Shukla, seeking measures to prevent pollution of the river.
During the hearing, the court was informed that the Municipal Corporation, Bilaspur, had initiated steps to construct Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs) under the Bilaspur Smart City Limited project.
The court was told that the STPs would be commissioned to their full capacity of 23 Million Litre Per Day (MLD) by the end of March 2025, which would enable the treatment of 60% of the sewerage water generated in the municipal corporation area.
However, the court expressed concern over the remaining 40% of the sewerage water, which would continue to contaminate the river.
The Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Bilaspur, was directed to file a further affidavit with respect to the status of the project and the steps being taken to address the issue.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal also took note of a news report published in the Hari Bhumi newspaper on January 12, 2025, which highlighted the pollution of the Arpa River.
The District Magistrate, Raipur, was directed to file a personal affidavit with respect to the authenticity of the news report.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on February 11, 2025.