Order of the National Green Tribunal (Southern Zone, Chennai) in the matter of Corporation of Coimbatore Vs Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board & Others dated 24/04/2017 regarding Coimbatore Corporation to obtain Environmental Clearance to establish Sewage Treatment Plant.

HISTORY

• For the purpose of creating an underground drainage system under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) funded by the Ministry of Urban Development, the Coimbatore Corporation submitted a Detailed Project Report (DPR) which was approved by the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee in the year 2007 and as per the said scheme the underground drainage system in the City of Coimbatore is to be executed in six packages and the construction of STP at Ukkadam, Nanjundapuram and Ondipudur are concerning the said scheme. The issue is relating to the proposed establishment of STP at Nanjundapuram site Uppilipalayam Village where total 39.78 MLD of sewage is expected to be treated for the prospective design year and 45.2 MLD for ultimate.
• The Corporation of Coimbatore has started work in 2008 without obtaining ‘consent’ to establish’ from the Board.
• The residents of Mayflower Sakthi Garden Owners’ Association, whose houses are situated adjacent to the proposed STP, approached the High Court of Madras against the proposed STP construction.
• The State Pollution Control Board issued show-cause notice after which the Corporation submitted an application for 'consent to establish’ on to the Board. On inspection, the Board found that the STP was not meeting the guidelines issued by the Board and therefore directed the Corporation to find out an alternate site.
• In 13/11/2010 consent to operate was granted by the State Pollution Control Board.
• Mayflower Sakthi Garden Owners Association approached the High Court of Madras by challenging the order of the Board.

FINAL ORDER

NGT restores the Original Order of Consent granted by the SPCB and made the following observation that "sewage treatment plant is of absolute necessity to be established and managed by any Corporation/Municipality and it is generally seen in our country that wherever civic authorities decide to establish such plant, such decisions are opposed by the people residing nearby. These objections are being raised invariably in all cases without even referring to the advanced scientific and technological studies and merely apprehending that something may happen based on certain assumptions".