Road in Baddi flooded by industrial effluents
Solan, May 27
In a major violation of environmental norms, a large quantity of untreated industrial effluents was seen flowing on a road of the Baddi industrial town last evening after a major leakage near a hotel in the pipeline of the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP).
The plant collects industrial effluents from various industrial units through its pipeline and treats the waste.
Though some repair was done by the plant staff last night, it failed to work for long and the pipe once again leaked and led to the oozing out of a large quantity of toxic effluents on the road.
Major leakage in CETP pipeline
The plant management did not inform the companies letting out their effluents into the broken pipe to stop their discharge due to which these kept flowing for a long time, though the flow had stopped by evening. — Abhay Gupta, Junior engineer, State Pollution Control Board, Baddi
The effluents changed into a white foam as these flowed through the drain and emptied into a nullah. Pedestrians walking on the road were inconvenienced due to the coloured and foul water which had gathered at several places on the potholed road. A resident Naresh Kumar said though some repair work was undertaken by the CETP staff last night, it lasted for barely 15 minutes. “The area emitted a pungent odour in the morning when a large quantity of effluents was seen flowing on the road. The effluents also spread to nearby shanties and added to the residents’ inconvenience,” added Naresh.
“The plant management did not inform the companies letting out their effluents into the broken pipe to stop their discharge due to which these kept flowing for a long time, though the flow had stopped by evening,” said Abhay Gupta, junior engineer, State Pollution Control Board (SPCB), Baddi, who visited the affected area this evening after getting information in this regard.
He said the CETP management would be directed to lift the waste through tankers till the pipeline was repaired. He added that the CETP staff had conveyed that some industrial unit had let out effluents at night in violation of the norms, which led to the leakage of the pipeline owing to its large quantity.
Praveen Gupta, Chief Engineer, SPCB, Baddi, said a show-cause notice was being issued to the plant management to explain its stand and rectify the leakage.
The field staff visited the affected site and took stock of the situation.
The entire nullah was flooded with the toxic-ridden effluents, following which the water quality was hit.
Sources said industrial units in Baddi were often found openly letting out their untreated effluents, polluting water and soil.
