Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board Needs a Thorough Overhaul. High Court to Hear the Matter on July 4.. Toxic Pollution in Underground Water in BB industrial Corridor. Leachates Flowing into Pabbar and Beas River..
SHIMLA, June 30 – As the Himachal Pradesh High Court sets to hear the Suleiman vs others case on July 4 here, there is mounting public outcry over the State Pollution Control Board’s failure to enforce pollution norms and rules, especially regarding waste management and the reckless contamination of water bodies across the state.
The Eye of the Storm: Regional Officers’ Accountability
Citizens are demanding strict action against regional officers of the Pollution Control Board, holding them accountable for the poor enforcement of pollution regulations.
The dumping along the river/stream and nallah should be banned as these are sources of water for local population.
Despite having a plethora of waste management facilities like Municipal Solid Waste Processing Units, Sewage Treatment Plants, Effluent Treatment Plants, and Biomedical Waste Treatment Facilities, these critical infrastructures remain woefully under-monitored.
The council has approached the HP High Court against the NGT order.
The result? Rampant pollution and the unchecked dumping of waste and construction debris into rivers and nalas across towns and cities like Shimla, Mandi, Dharamshala, Kullu, Manali, Palampur, and most of the local urban bodies.
In towns like Chopal, Nerwa, Jubbal, Kotkhai, Tikkar, Rohru, Rampur, Narkanda, the most of the urban waste end up nearby forest areas or in local khads or nallahs. The solid waste in Chopal is being dumped in the green forest area right below the Lankkarvir Temple.
Neglect and Preferential Treatment: A Deep-Rooted Issue
Inspections by pollution regulators are shockingly sparse and often skewed towards lucrative industrial areas like Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh, Kala Amb, and Una, leaving municipal waste facilities in shambles.
It's evident that the Pollution Control Board's focus remains on visiting wealthy industrialists rather than ensuring compliance at municipal waste processing sites.
IIT Mandi and IIT Jammu Study: A Startling Revelation
A recent joint study by IIT Mandi and IIT Jammu exposed the severe pollution of underground water in the Baddi-Barotiwala industrial corridor.
This negligence by the pollution authorities has drawn the ire of both the public and the High Court, which has sought the study’s findings to drive accountability.
The study’s revelations highlight criminal negligence on the part of the Pollution Control Board and related state agencies.
Certificates Without Compliance: A Mockery of Regulations
The Pollution Control Board's role seems reduced to merely issuing certificates of compliance and pollution no-objection certificates (NOCs) to industries, hotels and commercial establishments without conducting physical or scientific evaluations and sampling for testing.
This practice is a blatant disregard for pollution control, resulting in certificates being issued even when treatment plants themselves are non-compliant. This complicates the situation further, exacerbating pollution, revealed environment experts.
There are engineers who are siting on post for over decade. The civil, electrical, mechanical engineers dominate the key posts in the board rather than the desired scientists or environmental engineers.
Environmental Disaster: Cases from Across the State
Instances of contamination are not hard to find. In Rohru town, leachates—a toxic liquid— along with sullage and sewerage are seeping unchecked into the Pabbar River, once teeming with fresh trout. Now, it’s a shadow of its former self, further devastated by illegal mining activities in the river.
You do not find a boulder in the the river, which once used to be the hideouts for the trout in the river. The Plight of the Giri that feeds water needs of the Shimla is no different.
It carries the slush, sewerage of the towns of Kotkhai, Guma, Huli, Chaila and Sainj where hotels and resorts have come up over the years.
In Manali, the National Green Tribunal early in June this year had fined the Manali municipal council ₹4.6 crores on Manali municipal council for failing to comply with environmental norms at the Rangri solid waste treatment plant. The waste is a nightmare for the school children and locals.
Similarly, Kullu’s waste treatment facility, positioned precariously along the Beas River, is suspected of leaking contaminants into the river.
Urgent Call for Accountability and Reform
The public is pressing for immediate reforms in the Pollution Control Board, demanding that regional officers be held accountable for issuing certificates without proper verification of compliance.
The Shimla waste treatment facility, under the Shimla Municipal Corporation, produces refuse-derived fuel but raises concerns over groundwater contamination from landfill leachates.
A Call for Overhaul
The Pollution Control Board’s neglect has placed Himachal’s environment in jeopardy. Simple question is: Is job of a pollution regulator is just to issue a certificate or NOCs to the applicant?
There is an urgent need to overhaul the Board’s operations, appoint competent scientific officers, and establish stringent monitoring mechanisms to prevent further environmental degradation.
The High Court's intervention and the findings from the IIT Mandi study are pivotal moments in addressing this critical issue of pollution in the state.
The state government must act decisively to ensure these authorities fulfill their duties and safeguard rivers, streams and ground water for healthy sustainable use for the ecosystem including local communities and aquatic life.
