The Pattancheru Pollution of Air, Water & Land is not something new, it has been an issue for over two decades, since W.P.No.1056 of 1990 was filed in the Supreme Court of India.
What is remarkable about this is the local population's complaints and environmentalists' lawsuits & protests, Supreme Court directives of 2000 and Supreme Court Monitoring Committee directives of 2004 and even the latest Joint Action Plan of CPCB & APPCB of 2-7-2007, could not do much to change anything at Pattancheru, leading to what it is today in 2009.
Denial Mode
All these years the Polluting Industries keep denying, disputing and challenging the findings and complaints against pollution and the Regulating Agency (APPCB) keep saying that Environment Protection laws are being enforced, ensuring the compliance of all specified standards. They seem to ignore the basic principle "The Proof of Burden is on the Polluter". Both the Polluter and the Regulator are on "Denial Mode" driving the pollution affected victims from pillar to post without any relief from the pollution.
But only, when the news item released by "Associated Press" on the state of pollution in Pattancheru area, based on the report of the Researchers from Goteborg University, Sweden and published in the American media, the PMO and MoEF seem to get into action mode, looking for answers.
What it proves to us, one again, is that the Govt. will hardly respond to people's needs, unless it could be embarrassed in the West.
Joint Action Plan for PETL & JETL
The Joint Action Plan of CPCB & APPCB dated 2-7-2007 in W.P.No.476/2005, W.P.No.441/2005 and Batch Cases, listed a number of measures, regarding Surface Water Standards, CETP Inlet and Out let Standards etc to be complied by PETL and JETL, stipulating maximum period of 18 months for meeting TDS (Inorganic) limit of 2,100 gm/l of Surface Water Standards. The present compliance status of the Joint Action Plan is not known.
18 KM Pipeline
The Joint Action Plan recommended the usage of 22.5 km pipeline (called as 18 km pipeline), provided for discharge of treated effluents from CETP Pattancheru (PETL) to K&S Main Sewer, be permitted to be commissioned, provided that the stipulated outlet standards of the CETP, (Surface Water Standards) are met by PETL.
If the outlet standards, applicable for discharge into inland surface waters are being met by PETL and "good enough for drinking" as reported to have been claimed by the representative of APPCB, why not the treated effluents from PETL, be utilized by the member industrial units in the area?
The utilization of the treated effluents will help reducing the depletion of ground waters and the demand on other scarce water resources in the area. What is the need to use the 18 Km pipeline, to convey the treated effluents, suitable for discharge into inland surface waters, all the way to STP at Amberpet, incurring considerable recurring expenditure for pumping?
The only reason for permitting the use of 18 Km pipeline by PETL appears to justify the earlier apparent misleading recommendation of CPCB & APPCB to Supreme Court, as the solution for solving the water pollution problems of Pattancheru area.
There is every danger of using 18 Km pipeline, as a clever camouflage, to dilute high TDS (inorganic) effluents and discharge the same into Musi river through Amberpet STP, as is being done by CETP Jeedimetla (JETL). The only way of ensuring compliance of the outlet standards by CETP, is by making the industries (polluters) to use the treated effluents, instead of transferring them some where else & to others, and by introducing 3 rd Party Monitoring.
CETP Jeedimetla (JETL)
The CETP at Jeedimetla (JETL), is diluting the effluents with domestic sewage and discharging its so-called treated (Diluted) effluents with high TDS, through a pipeline into Municipal Sewers, which is not permissible as per the Joint Action Plan. This should be stopped with immediate effect if the discharges do not conform to the stipulated Surface Water Standards
Conclusion
The representative of APPCB is reported to have stated that the discharges from PETL are in conformance with stipulated standards, but they have not been tested to detect antibiotics. This appears to be a blatant distortion of the facts and the ground realities.
Suggest that a thorough investigation be undertaken by an expert committee, which includes the representatives of CSE, New Delhi, Civil Society etc , to evaluate and asses the ground realities.
Also suggest that necessary action be initiated for proper and strict implementation of the Joint Action Plan of 2-7-2007, to ensure compliance of various measures recommended, by the Industries and PETL & JETL, keeping the public informed of the status of implementation on APPCB Website
Further suggest that Penal Action be initiated in accordance with Section 15 of The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, against the Industries and CETPs, who fail to comply with the stipulated standards.
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