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| Family restaurant disposes untreated water in open, authorities in slumber | | Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 violated | |  Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 23: In total violation of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974, a Family restaurant at R S Pura is openly discharging hundreds of gallons of wastewater along the highway while the authorities seem to be in a slumber.
The Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Board (JKPCB) as well as Urban Local Bodies (ULB) have turned a blind eye towards this violation for the reasons best known to the officials.
According to the guidelines the disposing of untreated waste water is prohibited under Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 and the family restaurants, food plazas are duty bound to establish Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) so that only treated water is discharged.
However, the family restaurant along Jammu-RS Pura highway, just one kilometre short of RS Pura town, has been openly discharging untreated waste water into an adjoining nallah running along the highway.
“A small culvert is constructed over the nallah, which is just at the entrance of the family restaurant. Moreover all the customers as well as the employees of the restaurant, have to pass through the same culvert. But beneath it, huge volumes of untreated waste discharged from the restaurant, has got accumulated”, locals said, adding that the smell is so pungent that no one can stand there for a few seconds.
“It is still unclear as whether the restaurant owner has installed a treatment plant or not but even if he has installed it, he is not using the same and disposing off huge quantity of untreated water jeopardizing the environment”, sources said, adding that the owner of the restaurant is “influential man” and enjoys “good connections.”
Sources informed that while operating an ETP for round the clock, large amount of electricity is consumed, so restaurant owners usually avoid using the plants but satisfy the law enforcement staff by other means.
The 1974 Act explains the penalty for violation of various provisions of the Act and in the instant case the restaurant owner could be found openly violating the act and action warranted under the Act should be taken.
The Divisional Officer of PCB Jammu South Atul Jandial said that he would look into the matter and take proper action.
Member Secretary PCB, BM Sharma also assured to take action, but added that Urban Local Bodies (ULB) Director too has to act.
ULB Director Jammu Asgar Hussain didn’t pick up his phone for comments. |
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