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Bhubaneswar, Sept. 11: The state pollution control board (SPCB) has issued a show cause notice to the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) for discharging untreated effluents into the Mahanadi and Kathajodi rivers.
The notice, dated September 8, was issued for violation of the consent of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, official sources said. It has asked CMC to submit a compliance report within a month.
The board has twice — May 5 and August 3 — issued directions to the municipal corporation to operate a sewerage treatment plant before discharging the water, sources informed. However, CMC neither responded to the direction nor submitted any compliance report to the board about the action plan for construction of sewerage treatment plant.
Under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, the urban local body is responsible for the compliance of its provisions relating to management of effluent. Violation of the norms attracts penal action under Section 44 of the Act, the pollution control board said in its notice to CMC.
“Your are not managing domestic swearge and discharging directly into water bodies without treatment in contravention of Section 25/26 of the Act. Illegal disposal of wastewater will invite public complaints and put the board in a very embarrassing position. You are dirceted to show cause within 30 days as to why legal action shall not be initiated for such violation,” the notice said.
The board said if CMC fails to submit any explanation within a month or if the cause shown is found to be unsatisfactory, action would be taken as deemed without further notice.
