The Times of India 06.04.2013
Municipal corporation, TNPCB prepare counter for green tribunal
COIMBATORE: Officials from the district unit of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and the city municipal corporation are busy preparing the counter reply to be filed before the southern bench of the NationalGreen Tribunal before April 30.
The city corporation had decided to resume civil works at the site in Nanjundapuram after it got the consent to establish the facility from the TNPCB in October 2012. However, the board has issued 27 special conditions to the corporation pertaining to the set up of the sewage treatment plant which includes the set up of an online real time monitoring system to oversee plant operations, to be linked with the head office of TNPCB, Chennai.
The civic body would get approval only if these conditions are fulfilled. As of now, all civil works have been temporarily suspended at the STP site until further orders from the Tribunal.
"We had issued a condition that the corporation should provide electromagnetic flow metre with digital online recording facility at the inlet and outlet of the treatment plant. The reading will be directly monitored from the TNPCB Care Air Centre in Chennai. The conditions have to be fulfilled before we issue consent to operate the plant," said a senior TNPCB official who requested anonymity.
The Care Air Centre of the Board was initially set up to monitor smoke emissions from industrial units and is also equipped to monitor discharge of effluents from treatment plants. The corporation would be required to collect and analyse treated sewage samples on a monthly basis from the TNPCB laboratory and submit the report to the district environmental engineer and Chennai office of TNPCB. The presence of faecal coliform count should also be analysed. Water samples from nearby water sources including Noyyal River must be analysed in a similar manner to compile base line data to assess water quality.
The civic body will have to realign two water treatment basins from the north eastern corner adjacent to the residential complex to the western side of the site to ensure at least a buffer zone of about 40 metres from residential areas as the stipulated distance of 500m and 100m buffer zone from the treatment plant cannot be ensured at the present site in Nanjundapuram.
"The civic body should also monitor the quality of ground water in the region annually. It should compile and maintain monthly data on the quality of Noyyal River water, ambient air and noise levels at the site and furnish it to the board," the official added.
The city municipal corporation had initially commenced work without seeking the consent of the board which is mandatory. The proposed site was initially used as a sewage pumping station by the Tamil Nadu Water and Drainage Board in the early 80s. Corporation commissioner G Latha said the civic body would file a counter application and was confident of getting a favourable order from the green tribunal.
The city corporation had decided to resume civil works at the site in Nanjundapuram after it got the consent to establish the facility from the TNPCB in October 2012. However, the board has issued 27 special conditions to the corporation pertaining to the set up of the sewage treatment plant which includes the set up of an online real time monitoring system to oversee plant operations, to be linked with the head office of TNPCB, Chennai.
The civic body would get approval only if these conditions are fulfilled. As of now, all civil works have been temporarily suspended at the STP site until further orders from the Tribunal.
"We had issued a condition that the corporation should provide electromagnetic flow metre with digital online recording facility at the inlet and outlet of the treatment plant. The reading will be directly monitored from the TNPCB Care Air Centre in Chennai. The conditions have to be fulfilled before we issue consent to operate the plant," said a senior TNPCB official who requested anonymity.
The Care Air Centre of the Board was initially set up to monitor smoke emissions from industrial units and is also equipped to monitor discharge of effluents from treatment plants. The corporation would be required to collect and analyse treated sewage samples on a monthly basis from the TNPCB laboratory and submit the report to the district environmental engineer and Chennai office of TNPCB. The presence of faecal coliform count should also be analysed. Water samples from nearby water sources including Noyyal River must be analysed in a similar manner to compile base line data to assess water quality.
The civic body will have to realign two water treatment basins from the north eastern corner adjacent to the residential complex to the western side of the site to ensure at least a buffer zone of about 40 metres from residential areas as the stipulated distance of 500m and 100m buffer zone from the treatment plant cannot be ensured at the present site in Nanjundapuram.
"The civic body should also monitor the quality of ground water in the region annually. It should compile and maintain monthly data on the quality of Noyyal River water, ambient air and noise levels at the site and furnish it to the board," the official added.
The city municipal corporation had initially commenced work without seeking the consent of the board which is mandatory. The proposed site was initially used as a sewage pumping station by the Tamil Nadu Water and Drainage Board in the early 80s. Corporation commissioner G Latha said the civic body would file a counter application and was confident of getting a favourable order from the green tribunal.