Consider sewage treatment for Barapulla drain, NGT tells govt

The covering of drains would be a disaster and what requires serious consideration is whether there should be a sewage treatment plant for Delhi’s biggest drain, the Barapulla drain, National Green Tribunal (NGT) said on Monday as it asked authorities to consider the same.

A bench headed by NGT chairperson , which had earlier issued orders against the covering of the 10-km-long Kushak nala, a stormwater drain in south Delhi, said that before it allows any progress on the above proposal, officials should consider whether any sewage treatment plant is required for Barapulla drain.

The Kushak nala-Barapulla nala system is the main arterial drain for the NDMC area.
“Another aspect which requires serious consideration is whether there should be an STP plant at Barapulla drain before it discharges all sewage and other waste into the Yamuna. This must be considered by the authorities before we permit any progress in the (Kushak nala) project,” it said.

Hearing a petition against the covering of stormwater drains, which might lead to flooding during monsoons, NGT also directed Delhi government, Delhi Pollution Control Committee and South Delhi Municipal Corporation “to examine and file a comprehensive report dealing with peak storm drainage, modified catchment area, percentage of open area and land use, channel design parameters and treatment, if any, being done for the discharge made from these drains into the Yamuna.”

NGT was hearing a petition by retired Indian Forest Service officer Manoj Kumar Mishra and Madhu Bhaduri, a former diplomat, opposing the covering of stormwater drains in Delhi to enable their use for commercial and parking purposes.

The petition states that these drains carry sewage collected from various colonies of Delhi and covering them could cause excessive flooding during
monsoons.