The state of Sewage Treatment Plants in the UT of J&K reveals a disconcerting neglect of environmental and public health responsibilities. More than five years after the National Green Tribunal laid down stricter norms for effluent discharge, a majority of the STPs in J&K continue to fall short of these standards. This chronic failure is not merely a technical lapse but a direct threat to human health, aquatic life, and the quality of vital water resources. Way back in April 2019, the NGT mandated that effluent discharge standards prescribed for mega and metropolitan cities be universally applicable. The NGT’s directive was also unambiguous about penalising those responsible for non-compliance. Yet, five years on, the grim reality is that only half of J&K’s operational STPs meet permissible Fecal Coliform Count levels, and even fewer adhere to the required physico-chemical parameters.
This widespread non-compliance underscores a systemic failure. Out of 20 operational STPs in the region, only 10 meet the Fecal Coliform standard, and a mere six adhere to physico-chemical benchmarks. For instance, in Jammu city, three out of four STPs remain either non-operational or in a trial phase. The sole operational STP-with an installed capacity of 30 MLD-barely functions at two-thirds of its capacity, reflecting not only technical obsolescence but also a lack of planning and maintenance. Nonfunctional STPs at Bhagwati Nagar and on trial at Belicharana STP serve no purpose except adding numbers. More concerning is the fact that the majority of districts in Jammu province have no STP installed to date.
The situation is equally dire in Kashmir’s Srinagar district, where multiple STPs fail to meet both Fecal Coliform and physico-chemical standards. STPs at critical locations such as Hazratbal, Habak, Nishat Laam, and Brarinambal continue to discharge untreated or inadequately treated waste into water bodies.
This negligence poses a dual threat: it degrades the aquatic ecosystems and endangers public health through contaminated water supplies. The untreated sewage disposal into the Tawi River poses a significant challenge, especially with the upcoming artificial lake project in Jammu. Even more concerning is the fact that over half of Jammu City’s water supply comes from the Tawi River, either directly extracted or drawn through tubewells along its banks. Environmentalists warn that non-compliant STPs discharge harmful waste into rivers, risking irreversible damage to aquatic ecosystems and human life. Fecal Coliform in untreated sewage signals the presence of harmful pathogens, while deviations from acceptable Biochemical Oxygen Demand and Chemical Oxygen Demand levels indicate the presence of excessive organic pollutants. The prescribed thresholds are crucial for ensuring the ecological and sanitary integrity of water bodies. When these standards are breached, the consequences ripple outward, affecting communities dependent on these water sources.
What is particularly troubling is the lack of penal action against authorities or contractors responsible for this failure. The NGT had explicitly directed punitive measures for non-compliance, yet enforcement remains conspicuously absent. This not only emboldens defaulters but also undermines the NGT’s authority and the urgency of its directives.
The road ahead requires immediate and decisive action. The administration must prioritise operationalising non-functional STPs and ensure their compliance with NGT norms. This includes resolving bureaucratic and contractual disputes expeditiously. Allocating adequate resources for maintenance and upgrades should no longer be deferred. Equally important is accountability. The absence of punitive measures against defaulters sends a message of impunity. Transparency in the functioning and performance of STPs must also be ensured, with periodic public reporting on key metrics such as BOD, COD, and Fecal Coliform levels.
The state of STPs in J&K is a sobering reminder of the environmental and public health costs of administrative apathy. Five years after the NGT’s directives, the UT’s failure to meet even basic effluent discharge standards is unacceptable by any standards. The concerned authorities must act swiftly to rectify this situation for river health, community well-being, and the region’s ecological future.
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