Ahmedabad Faces HC Wrath Over STP Inefficiencies

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court delivered a stern reprimand to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on Monday, accusing it of presenting misleading figures regarding the efficiency of its sewage treatment plants (STPs). The court’s observations came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning pollution in the Sabarmati River.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Vaibhavi Nanavati noted significant deficiencies in the STPs, as highlighted by an affidavit from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB). Despite the AMC’s claims of high operational efficiency for its STPs, the GPCB’s report painted a starkly different picture, revealing ongoing issues with sewage directly flowing into the Sabarmati River. Chief Justice Agarwal pointed out discrepancies between the AMC’s claims and the actual situation. “Open drains are flowing into the river, and you’re telling us that STPs are working at 75 per cent efficiency. Why don’t you say this in your affidavit? Why does the GPCB have to say this?” CJ Agarwal remarked, addressing the AMC’s counsel. Taking the Vasna STP as an example, Chief Justice Agarwal noted that while the AMC claimed the plant met required standards, surplus sewage from the 102 MLD (million litres per day) Vasna STP was being directly discharged into the river. “Only in 1-2 STPs is this sewage bypass not observed,” she said, highlighting the broader issue of systemic inefficiency. The Pirana STP was also cited, where GPCB’s inspection revealed three bypass outlets near the final outlet.

The court expressed its dissatisfaction with the AMC’s approach, stating, “Don’t give these figures to us. You may have done some progress with the blueprint, but the figures given by you are clearly misleading and we are taking strong exception to this.” The court criticised the AMC for providing misleading figures and failing to address the root causes of the problem. “Till now you’ve taken the excuse that because of industrial effluents, we are not able to run STPs properly. They are not efficient, which was also a sheer excuse for all your slackness,” CJ Agarwal stated. She added that despite the court’s insistence on a comprehensive plan, the AMC had not adhered to its own timelines.

The bench underscored the severity of the situation, particularly the issue of sewage bypasses. “If you are closing these bypasses, where would that water go? Streets in Ahmedabad will be flooded with sewage water… Your STPs are not efficient… Ultimately then where did you achieve 91 per cent efficiency?” the court questioned. The court instructed the AMC to address all deficiencies pointed out by the GPCB and warned of potential action if improvements were not made. The case has been scheduled for further consideration on August 8.