Treatment plants, units fined over Rs 8 cr for polluting Markanda
The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has imposed fines of Rs 7.55 crore on 11 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and Rs 9.60 lakh on two Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) operating in the Ambala district for polluting the Markanda river. Besides, the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (HPSPCB) has imposed a fine of Rs 68.18 lakh on five industrial units in Kala Amb.
A total of Rs 8.32 crore fine has been imposed as Environmental Compensation, following directions from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in a case related to pollution in Markanda. The HSPCB is also in the process of filing prosecution complaints against officers and contractors responsible for these STPs/CETPs, which were found non-compliant in the past.
The river, originating from Ban Kalan in Sirmour and exiting HP at Kala Amb after traversing 24 km, flows through three districts of Haryana—Ambala, Kurukshetra, and Kaithal—before merging into the Ghaggar.
The Markanda regains its flow after merging with the Tangri river in Punjab. At the point where it re-enters Haryana in Kurukshetra district, the BOD level is 7.8 mg/l, which further increases to 13 mg/l at the exit of District Kurukshetra, and before its confluence with the Ghaggar in Kaithal district, the BOD level rises to 17 mg/l.
The HSPCB took water samples on April 21, June 17 and June 23. “It is evident that the degradation in water quality of the river Markanda is primarily due to the inflow of Jatton Wala Nallah, which brings industrial effluents from Himachal Pradesh and domestic sewage from Haryana. Additionally, the river Tangri, which flows through Punjab before joining the Markanda, also contributes to the deterioration of water quality. Therefore, the stretch of Tangri flowing through the state of Punjab should also be monitored to detect and tapping of the discharge points,” added the report from HSPCB, dated July 16.
The NGT started hearing the case about pollution in the river Markanda, after a resident of Naraingarh (Ambala) complained in 2022 that industrial waste from Kala Amb (Himachal) was being dumped into the Markanda via Jatton Wala Nallah.
According to the HPSPCB, no instances of unscientific lime sludge disposal in the Markanda have come to light in the last one year, as per its report to the NGT, dated May 17.
Taking action, the HPSPCB issued show-cause notices to eight industrial units and imposed a fine of Rs 68.18 lakh on five units and disconnected the power connections of four of them.
During a hearing on July 17, the NGT ordered the pollution control boards of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana to file further action taken reports within a month and listed the matter for September 4.
What is Biochemical Oxygen Demand
*A parameter that measures the oxygen quality of water; the lower the better. It should be as little as 3 mg/litre to allow aquatic life.
*Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) level at the entry point in Kala Amb (Ambala district) was recorded at 4.0 mg/L. A significant increase in BOD from 4.0 mg/l to 12.0 mg/l was observed after the confluence of Jatton Wala Nallah, with a BOD level of 34 mg/l, into the Markanda. “This indicates a major impact on water quality due to this nallah. The river becomes dry at the exit point of Ambala district,” said a report filed by Pardeep Kumar, Member Secretary, HSPCB, to the NGT.
*Length of river: 125 km; from its entry point in state to merger into the Ghaggar at Kaithal
Haryana Tribune