Sewage treatment plants require environment clearance: NGT

Sewage treatment plants require environment clearance before being set up, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) today held while halting the construction of such a unit in village Narkatari in Kurukshetra district of Haryana.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar gave the ruling saying that in order to ensure effective functioning of environmental laws as well as in larger public interest, it is necessary that projects like sewage treatment plants (STP) get environment clearance (EC).
"Sewage itself is a very serious pollutant. It can result in tremendous health hazards and cause injury to the environment. It carries pathogenic organisms that can transmit diseases to humans and animals... The purpose of environmental legislations is to prevent environmental degradation on the one hand and its improvement on the other.

"To perform these functions collectively and effectively, it would be necessary for such projects to get environmental clearance at the very threshold. It would help to further the cause of legislations as well as the larger public purpose," the bench said.