Rajasthan asked to treat effluents at Bhiwadi Industrial area

Rajasthan has been asked to dispose effluents at Bhiwadi Industrial area properly and prepare time-bound action plans to set up sewage treatment plants and treat industrial effluents before disposing them.

The directive has come after two children drowned in a pond with industrial effluents and domestic sewage at Saeedpur village in Dharuhera, in April. The environment ministry has asked the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to direct Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (RSPCB) to take necessary steps in a time-bound manner. CPCB would give a time line to the state board for taking action.

Bhiwadi Municipal Council (BMC), Rajasthan State Industrial Development & Investment Corporation (RIICO) and Rajasthan Housing Board (RHB) would be asked to submit time-bound action plans individually or jointly for setting up of sewerage system for proper collection, treatment and disposal of sewage and industrial effluents generated at Bhiwadi and the villages in its vicinity to RSPCB by August 31. RSPCB will examine the action plans submitted at its level and get them modified by September 15, 2017. These would be forwarded to CPCB by September 29.

The state has been asked to ensure the effluents from existing cesspools created due to indiscriminate disposal of untreated effluents and sewage are pumped to the newly-created STPs and existing CETP for treatment and such pits shall be kept dry;

CPCB would examine the action plans and will forward the action plans to the Ministry by October 16 so that facilities can be in place by January 31. CPCB would monitor the implementation of action plans and submit a monthly progress report, starting from November 30, 2017 till March 31, 2018.