While observing that expeditious remedial action is required to ensure pollutants including untreated sewage does not enter the Dal Lake, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted a Joint Committee.
The Principal Bench of Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and Dr A. Senthil Vel heard an application, whereby the tribunal is considering the deteriorating condition of Dal Lake in Kashmir on account of flowing of municipal sewage and other pollutants from different sources.
On 08.05.2024, the Tribunal had impleaded the respondents and had issued notice to them.
Response has been received only from the Member Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (J&KPCC). The said response reveals unabated flow of untreated domestic water into channels and violation of environmental norms in the sample analysis report such as high concentration of BOD, total coliform and fecal coliform etc.
It further reveals that untreated sewage is flowing into Dal Lake from areas like Telbal, Lalbazar etc. and there are about 910 houseboats in Dal and Nigeen Lake and their water often gets discharged into Dal Lake without any treatment.
The Tribunal find that Dal Lake and two backflow channels (Nayadar and Jogilankar) are almost anaerobic and high organic load going upto level of 23.5 mg/l. With regards to reporting data and FC, it is to be ensured that analysis of Total Coliform and Fecal Coliform may be carried out as per standard notified i.e. MPN/100 ml and not cfu/100ml.
The Bench further find that operating STPs are non-compliant. They should meet standards directed by the Tribunal in a matter of 2018, order dated 30.04.2019.
It is a matter of serious concern that STP at Barinambal is not designed and operated properly. J&KPCC in the next report is expected to give performance data of all STPs with the particular of designed capacity, utilization and quality of inlet and outlet performance with reference to FC, the NGT directed.
The NGT constituted a Joint Committee comprising of the following:
(i) Member Secretary, J&K PCC,
(ii) Vice-Chairman, J&K Lake Conservation and Management Authority, Srinagar;
(iii) Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar;
(iv) Ro, MoEF&CC, Chandigarh;
(v) District Magistrate, Srinagar;
(vi) Senior Officer of CPCB nominated by Member Secretary, CPCB.
“District Magistrate, Srinagar will act as a coordinating agency in the Joint Committee. The Committee will ascertain the sources of pollution in Dal Lake and will find out the persons/entities responsible for the same and will take appropriate remedial and punitive action. The Committee will also prepare environmental management guidelines for houseboats,” the NGT directed the same to be completed in three months and listed the matter on 02.12.2024.