HC cites Bhagirathpura tragedy, questions Rs 111-cr Shivpuri sewage project failure

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh high court on Wednesday said the state appeared to have learnt no lessons from the Bhagirathpura contaminated-water deaths in Indore as it questioned the failure of a Rs 111-crore sewage project in Shivpuri and sought an explanation for untreated sewage still flowing into Sankhya Sagar Lake.Hearing a public interest petition on pollution in Sankhya Sagar, a division bench of Justice G S Ahluwalia and Justice Anuradha Shukla questioned how the National Lake Conservation Plan project was approved without household sewer connections. It said such a project would amount to waste of public money if sewage could not reach the sewage treatment plant.The bench directed the state government to identify the then executive director of EPCO, which prepared the project, and produce records explaining why household sewer connections were excluded from the detailed project report.

Government counsel told the court that the Rs 111-crore project, including the STP, was completed in 2019 but became non-functional because houses were never connected to the sewer network, a task assigned to the Shivpuri Municipal Council.Madhav Tiger Reserve deputy director Hariom told the court untreated sewage continues to enter Sankhya Sagar Lake throughout the year and remains the main source of pollution.

He also admitted that no scientific study has been conducted to determine whether solid sewage deposits have accumulated on the lake bed. The court said damage to the lake bed inside the protected area could also amount to an offence under the Wildlife (Protection) Act.The forest department said a forest offence was registered on June 23 against the Shivpuri Municipal Council, the PHED and unknown persons over the pollution.

The court, however, questioned why none of the officials named as nodal officers in a Collector-led meeting in January to prevent sewage inflow had been booked, and the deputy director could not explain the omission.The bench directed the forest department to collect sediment samples from different parts of the lake, including the point where Jadhav Sagar Lake merges with Sankhya Sagar, to assess long-term damage caused by sewage accumulation and submit a report on the next date of hearing.It also criticised officials for appearing before it without adequate preparation. The court deprecated the conduct of Shivpuri’s in-charge chief municipal officer, who said he had appeared without examining the records, and directed the Shivpuri collector to ensure officers appearing before the court are fully briefed.PHED officials told the court that the sewer network and STP had not been taken over by the municipal council after completion.

The bench directed PHED and the municipal council to produce all correspondence relating to the handover and explain why the infrastructure has remained non-functional.Observing that clean drinking water is a fundamental right, the court said authorities should not repeat the mistakes that led to the Bhagirathpura tragedy. It warned that if sewage pollution continues and causes harm to people, wildlife or forest property, the authorities could face criminal prosecution and liability to pay compensation.The bench directed the Shivpuri Municipal Council and PHED to submit a specific, time-bound plan to completely stop sewage discharge into Jadhav Sagar and Sankhya Sagar lakes. The matter will come up again on July 1.