GMDA serves notices to 366 residential societies to install STP

The Gurgaon Metropolitan Development Authority has issued notices to 366 residential societies of the city to install sewerage treatment plants (STPs) in their respective premises else sewerage connection will be cut by respective civic agencies.

The decision was taken after the National Green Tribunal recently slammed GMDA for the millennium city's contribution to polluting the Yamuna river.

The sewerage of the city reaches the river via the Najafgarh drain. The major concern for the authority is the untreated sewerage water going into the Yamuna.

V Uma Shankar, the CEO of the development authority, said notices have been served to private developers who had promised to install separate treatment plants in their respective premises to get construction licenses from town and country planning department.

"Under this provision, we have directed our officials to conduct random checking in residential societies to ascertain how many of them have not not installed STPs. The officials are also checking the installed STPs. As running STPs may increase expenses, there could be a case of residential societies may not operating STPs and directly throwing sewerage water into drains," Uma Shankar said.

During inspection, GMDA officials have found 366 residential societies which had made commitment but failed to install STPs yet, the CEO said.

"We are also providing options to take proper sewerage connection from GMDA and pay charges. GMDA will not allow anyone to pollute the environment," Uma Shankar said.

The city has three main STPs at Dhanwapur, to treat of 300 million gallons of water daily.