Despite repeated reminders from the Chandigarh Administration, the neighbouring State Governments of Punjab and Haryana have failed to stop sewage flowing from their territories into forest areas of the city.
The critical issue pertains to sewage flowing from Naya Gaon and Kansal villages of Punjab and Saketri and Madadev Pur villages of Haryana into the forest areas of Chandigarh. The sewage flowing into Sukhna Lake forest reserve has been causing damage to the flora and fauna in the area and had earlier led to skin problems in a herd of Sambars inhabiting the area.
The Administration had taken up the matter with the Punjab and Haryana Governments during the meeting of Apex Committee for coordination of tricity held under Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore last month.
Apart from this, a letter was recently sent to the State Governments to draw their attention to the issue. The Administration, however, is yet to get any response from the State Governments.
Notably, the union territory of Chandigarh is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana.
In the letter written to the Additional Chief Secretary, Forests and Environment, Principal Secretary, Urban Local Bodies, Punjab, the Chief Conservator of Forests, Chandigarh stated, “There is no sewage treatment plant (STP) for the sewage of Naya Gaon and Kansal villages and all the sewage from Kansal area is entering into the forest area of Chandigarh in between Rock Garden and Sukhna Lake thereby damaging the ecology of forest area of the city. The Administration has intimated several times to the state of Punjab to construct and operationalize STPs for all such sewages so that there is no discharge of untreated sewage water in the forest area of Chandigarh.
In a separate letter to the Haryana Government, the UT Chief Conservator of Forests said, “The untreated water of Saketri and Madadev Pur villages which is adjoining Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary (SWLS) is coming into the Nepal Choe of Chandigarh as there is no sewage treatment plan (STP) for the sewage in these villages. It is requested that the discharge of untreated water may be stopped immediately in the Choe, so that the untreated sewage water may not mix in Sukhna Lake in the city.”
Debendra Dalia, UT Chief Conservator of Forests and Special Secretary (Forests) while talking to The Pioneer said, “We have taken up the matter with the Punjab and Haryana Governments on several occasions, but in vain.”
In the letters written to them, the State Governments have been requested to resolve the problem on priority basis. But no action as yet has been taken by the concerned authorities. Infact, they are yet to respond to the letter sent by Administration, he said.
During the meeting of Apex Committee for coordination of tricity held last month, the issue of sewage flowing to the forest area of Chandigarh was raised by the Administration. It was decided that a separate meeting would be convened with Punjab and Haryana on the issues related to Sukhna Lake, sewage problem and Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary, he added.
The Sukhna Lake reserve forest spread over an area of around 105.57 hectares starting from Punjab and Haryana High Court ends toward Kishangarh-Saketri road near Regulator End of Sukhna Lake.
A report compiled by UT Forest and Wildlife Department in 2016 had stated that the sewage flowing from Kansal village is causing damage to flora and fauna of Sukhna Lake reserve forest and polluting the Sukhna Lake as well. It had also pointed out that a herd of Sambars residing near Rock Garden are suffering from skin problems caused due to sewerage water.
To deal with the sewage water of Kansal and Naya Goan, the Administration had recently chalked out a proposal to construct a new sewage treatment plant at Kishangarh.