Now Reading: Sikkim HC orders halt to untreated sewage into Teesta tributaries
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Sikkim HC orders halt to untreated sewage into Teesta tributaries
The High Court of Sikkim has directed authorities to immediately stop the discharge of untreated sewage from hotels and households in Lachen and Lachung into the Lachen Chu and Lachung Chu rivers, key tributaries of the Teesta. A division bench comprising Chief Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque and Justice Bhaskar Raj Pradhan warned that hotels failing to comply within four weeks will have to shut down until they meet requirements.
The order was passed in a suo motu public interest litigation following an inspection report by the Mangan District Legal Services Authority. The report found that septic tanks in the two high-altitude tourist destinations overflow during peak season, with excess black and grey water discharged through pipes into streams feeding the rivers. In some cases, sewage pipes from houses in Lachung were connected directly to the river.
The court directed the state government to identify locations for sewage treatment plants in each district within three weeks and approach the Ministry of Jal Shakti within a further week. The bench also ordered District Legal Services Authorities to compile reports on all six districts within four weeks. A consolidated report will be submitted by amicus curiae Tara Devi Chettri.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The order exposes a gap between Sikkim's high-altitude tourism economy and its waste infrastructure. Lachen and Lachung host a floating tourist population nearly equal to their resident population during peak season, yet have no sewage treatment plants. The court's four-week deadline for compliance puts immediate pressure on hotels, while the three-week timeline for the state to identify STP locations sets a longer but concrete path. The central government's National River Conservation Directorate has previously rejected the state's proposals under the Vibrant Villages Programme, calling them town-level infrastructure. The outcome of the state's approach to the Jal Shakti ministry will determine whether that funding gap closes.
Source: indiatodayne.in
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
