The Delhi Pollution Control Committee has imposed a fine of over Rs 12 crore on 12 common effluent treatment (CETPs) plants operating across the capital for not meeting prescribed wastewater discharge standards repetitively

There are 24 industrial areas in the city of which 17 are connected to 13 CETPS, which treat the wastewater from the industrial units before it can be reused or discharged into the Yamuna. Untreated wastewater and poor quality of effluent discharged from CETPs and sewage treatment plants is the major reason behind pollution in the river in Delhi, according to experts.

These 12 CETPs are in industrial areas in Jhilmil, Badli, Mayapuri, Mangolpuri, Nangloi, Okhla, Narela, Bawana, Naraina, GTK Road, Keshav Puram. These CETPs do not comply with the requisite standards with respect to biological oxygen (30 mg/litre), total dissolved solid (2,100 mg/l), sulphate (1,000 mg/l), Sulphide (2 mg/l) etc.

The DPCC had issued several notices to these CETPs asking them to take rectification measures to meet the prescribed effluent discharge standards. According to the DPCC, these CETPs failed to meet standards repetitively between February 2019 and February this year.

The CETP societies in these industrial areas were asked on Wednesday to deposit the environmental compensation totalling 12.05 crore to the DPCC within 15 days. These CETPs have also been asked to inform the DPCC about the rectification measures taken within 15 days.

The 13 CETPs in Delhi have a total capacity of treating 212.3 million litres of effluent a day. As per the Delhi CETP Act, 2000, the commissioner of industries is the authority for regulation of CETPs in the national capital.

CETP societies, formed for operation and maintenance of CETPs in Delhi, are fully responsible for their operation and maintenance. These are required to adhere to the environmental laws and run the CETPs as per the prescribed environmental laws.