Puri: The State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) has served a notice on the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in connection with the poor functioning of an effluent treatment plant (ETP), set up to treat the gruel coming out from Srimandir kitchen.
The SPCB has issued notice to the temple administration as per Section 33 (A) of Water Pollution Act, 1974 and asked the latter to respond within 15 days.
The SJTA has been asked to explain why action will not be initiated against it in connection with pollution issues.
Servitors at Srimandir used to discharge gruel from the temple kitchen to a drain near the south gate of the 12th century shrine. Opposing the release of untreated gruel and other waste, Subhas Datta of Kolkata had filed a petition in the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The petitioner informed the green body that release of untreated liquid waste into the drain has aggravated pollution in the locality. Expressing concern over the issue, the NGT had directed the district administration and the SJTA to set up an ETP at Srimandir and treat the gruel before releasing it to drain.
In accordance with the NGT order, the SJTA in association with private entity Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company (Jusco) had set up an ETP at the shrine with an expenditure of around Rs 1 crore in 2016. Jusco has been made as the nodal agency to manage the treatment plant.
According to sources, a special team of SPCB led by assistant environment engineer RK Sethi inspected the ETP and sent samples of the treated gruel for laboratory testing July 26, last year.
The laboratory report had
confirmed the presence of
comparatively high amount of pollutants in the treated gruel. Subsequently, the pollution
watchdog had directed the private agency to address all these issues at the earliest.
The SPCB had also raised the pollution issues with the district collector and SJTA higher-ups. However, the private agency and the shrine administration failed to comply with the SPCB order, sources said.
PNN