Sukhna Choe pollution: Combined Chandigarh, Punjab panel to plug sewage disposal points
The panel comprises principal secretary local government, Punjab, principal secretary urban development, Punjab, and Chandigarh municipal corporation commissioner among others. Sewage leaks into Sukhna Choe, falling on the Punjab-Chandigarh border, and ultimately spills into the Ghaggar river
To plug all the points from where sewage leaks into the Sukhna Choe, falling on the Punjab-Chandigarh border, a committee, comprising senior officials of the UT and Punjab, has been constituted.
The committee comprises principal secretary local government, Punjab, principal secretary urban development, Punjab, and Chandigarh municipal corporation commissioner among others.
“A meeting of senior UT and Punjab officials was held here on Friday. The decision to constitute the committee was taken with an aim to work on a joint strategy to solve the problem,” said a senior UT official privy to the development.
“In Chandigarh, the leakages come from Faidan colony in Faidan village. The colony is located on a private land. Sewer lines cannot be laid in unauthorised colonies. Also, there are multi-point entry leakages, and the geography is such that one cannot stop the follow by blocking one entry point,” said the UT official.
N-Choe flows from Faidan village and then enters the Jagatpura village in Mohali. The leakages are on both sides.
Notably, on the Chandigarh-end, on the directions of the UT adviser Dharam Pal, the MC, after an extensive survey, had suggested to employ the technique of phytoremediation (using living plants to clean up water, air etc) at Faidan village.
“All the options will be considered by the joint committee. We will have to now see whether the administration will go ahead with the phytoremediation method,” officials said.
Dhaka colony near Raipur Khurd is the only remaining outlet from where untreated water is entering the Sukhna Choe.
The MC, under a short-term measure, diverted the sewage from the village to a sewage treatment plant in Raipur Khurd after providing a gate at one of the manholes. The work is expected to be completed by year-end.
Under a permanent solution, a sewer line will be laid outside the Dhaka colony which will be used for carrying waste water of the colony to the Raipur Khurd STP. The expenditure involved is about ₹1 crore. The work will be completed by December 31.