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Chandigarh, Oct 16 (IANS) Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi on Thursday stressed on inter-departmental efforts with a focus on strict pollution control and a sustained campaign for the ecological balance of the Yamuna river ahead of the Chhath Puja festival.
Chairing a review aimed at proactive measures for thousands of devotees performing rituals along the banks of the river and its tributaries, he stressed the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) in the river catchment area.
He directed all executive engineers to personally monitor the functioning of these plants till October 28 to ensure that there are no malfunctions and all systems work within the prescribed environmental standards.
Junior engineers and sub-divisional engineers have been deployed for constant supervision, while the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has been directed to form special flying squads to conduct surprise inspections during odd hours.
He directed the officials to finalize the entire list of STPs and CETPs including those under construction and prepare future action plan while ensuring strict adherence to the project completion timelines.
Chief Secretary Rastogi directed the concerned departments to identify industries with the potential to release pollutants into the river or its drains.
He directed that any manipulation of operational or surveillance data should be addressed immediately and firmly.
The Chief Secretary directed the Urban Local Bodies Department and the Irrigation Department to immediately remove solid waste from drains and river banks.
Municipal corporations have been directed to deploy adequate manpower and machinery to maintain the ghats and river areas clean and accessible during the festive period.
For the next 15 days, a coordinated enforcement campaign will be carried out by the police, municipal corporation, public health engineering department and development and panchayat wing to prevent illegal disposal of sewage or tanker waste in the river.
Rastogi also reviewed the progress of STP projects under implementation in the catchment area. He said the projects with a total capacity of 107 million liters per day (MLD) are expected to be completed by March 2027.
It was informed during the meeting that six irrigation projects using treated waste water are in progress at Behrampur, Kanheli, Karnal, Haikat Nagar, Shiv Colony and Jattal Road in Panipat, collectively covering a treatment capacity of 158 MLD. These projects, costing approximately Rs 253 crore, are progressing steadily with progress ranging from 35 to 90 per cent at various locations.
–IANS
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