Gujarat : NGT notice over untreated discharge in Ankleshwar

Ahmedabad : The New Delhi bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken suo moto cognizance of social media posts and issued notices to Gujarat Pollution Control Board and GIDC Industrial Estate over alleged unauthorised untreated effluent near the Ankleshwar GIDC Industrial Estate.

In the notice issued on December 8, the NGT has sought immediate action and explanation from the authorities. The notice issued, based on social media posts of December 3, is scheduled for hearing on December 21.

Prayavaran Suraksha Samiti, a group of people working for the protection environment, had posted photographs on the social media that prominently showed alleged disposal of untreated effluents in small channels in the Ankleshwar GIDC Industrial Estate.

Rohit Prajapati of the PSS told the FPJ that releasing untreated effluent is not only a violation of the environmental laws, it is also contempt of the Supreme Court order passed in 2017 in connection with one case.

According to him, among various actions required to be taken include to make primary effluent treatment plants fully operational and restrain any industry from industrial activity if the effluent treatment plant is not fully or effectively functional.

The repercussions of releasing untreated water by units in Ankleshwar GIDC pose severe environmental hazards. Such unchecked discharge can contaminate local water bodies, affecting aquatic life and endangering the health of communities reliant on these resources. The pollutants from untreated effluents may contain heavy metals, toxic chemicals, and other harmful substances, leading to long-term ecological damage and health risks for both humans and wildlife.

Moreover, this irresponsible disposal directly contradicts legal directives and established regulations governing environmental conservation. It undermines efforts aimed at sustainable development and compromises the well-being of the ecosystem and inhabitants in and around Ankleshwar GIDC.

Prajapati further observed that Ankleshwar Notified Area Authority, GIDC, Ankleshwar Industries Association and the GPCB should resolve the issue as a system and not on an ad-hoc basis. We need a systemic solution, he added.