184 municipal commissioners get notice over sewage management

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued statutory notices to municipal commissioners of 184 towns to ensure proper management of domestic sewage and solid waste, an official said on Tuesday.

"The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued statutory notices to 184 towns to comply with water pollution control act and rules relating to municipal solid waste management," the environment ministry said in a statement.

The sewage is disposed off into rivers, lakes or allowed to seep into the ground polluting the groundwater, it said, adding that this has resulted in worsening of groundwater quality and caused many water-borne diseases.

Of the 62,000 million litres of sewage generated daily in the country, CPCB has observed that treatment capacity of 23,277 million litres per day was available, which amounts to less than 30 percent.

The town authorities have been asked to submit within 90 days a time-bound action plan for proper collection, treatment and disposal of sewage, the statement said.