Captain Satyender Kumar Singh vs State Of Rajasthan Through The Principal Secretary, Forest and Environment Department & Ors.

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The applicant, a resident of Jaipur, filed an Original Application before the National Green Tribunal, Central Zone Bench at Bhopal, alleging non-functioning and mismanagement of a 30 Million Litre Per Day (MLD) Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) established by the Jaipur Development Authority at Gajadharpura, Kalwar Road, Jaipur. It was alleged that untreated sewage effluent was being discharged onto open land, causing environmental degradation and health hazards to the public in violation of Section 24 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. Despite representations made to the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board, the Jaipur Development Authority, and the Central Pollution Control Board, no remedial action was taken, necessitating recourse to the Tribunal.

The Tribunal, upon admission of the application, constituted a Joint Committee comprising representatives of the Central Pollution Control Board and the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board to conduct a site inspection and submit a factual and action-taken report. The Joint Committee visited the STP on 8 December 2021 and collected samples from the inlet, outlet, final discharge point, and River Bandi, into which treated effluent is discharged. The Committee found the plant operational at an average flow of 25 MLD and noted observations including white colour froth or foaming at the point of discharge of treated wastewater.

The case raised important questions regarding the compliance of STP operators and statutory authorities with environmental norms, the quality of treated effluent being discharged into River Bandi, and the potential adverse impact on groundwater and public health in the surrounding areas. The Tribunal examined the Committee's findings, the responses of the respondents, and the applicable statutory framework governing consent to establish and consent to operate under environmental law.

Catchwords: Sewage Treatment Plant Environmental Pollution Untreated Sewage Jaipur Development Authority Water Pollution National Green Tribunal Consent to Establish Consent to Operate River Bandi Activated Sludge Process Joint Committee Environmental Compensation Public Health Groundwater Contamination