PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE / Dehradun
The Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan (UJS) has denied any connection with sewage tankers dumping untreated waste illegally into the Rispana river in Dehradun after the district administration issued notices to it and other agencies following an inspection. The issue came to light after The Pioneer reported that sewage tankers were illegally discharging waste into the Rispana river earlier this month. Acting on the information, Dehradun sub divisional magistrate (Sadar) inspected the riverbank on July 14.
Following the inspection, the SDM on July 23 issued notices to the executive engineers of UJS and Peyjal Nigam directing them to submit their replies within two days. According to the district administration, officials of the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) were also contacted before the notices were issued. The administration said that the MCD denied any role in the matter and stated that it was related to the UJS.
Responding to the notice, UJS executive engineer Ashish Bhatt said that the matter was not related to the department. He said that the UJS does not operate desludging tankers and only uses sewer jetting and super sucker machines for sewer maintenance work. Bhatt also said that vehicles operating without registration numbers fall under the jurisdiction of the Regional Transport Office (RTO). He added that whenever such cases come to the UJS’ notice, it informs the MCD, which is authorised to take action against illegal sewage tankers.
The SDM’s notice referred to National Green Tribunal directions aimed at preventing the discharge of untreated sewage into the Rispana river. It also directed that tankers found dumping sewage into the river be seized and kept at the police station concerned under the supervision of the Naib Tehsildar (Sadar).
Repeated attempts by this correspondent to contact MCD officials for their response elicited no response.
