Jaipur: National Green Tribunal (NGT) Thursday refused to relocate a proposed 10 million litres per day (MLD) sewage treatment plant (STP) in Chaturbhuj village, Kotputli-Behror district, directing authorities to enforce stringent environmental safeguards instead.The decision follows a petition from locals who claimed the site is in proximity to temples, a govt school, a gaushala, and public drinking water sources, raising fears of odour, noise, mosquito breeding, and potential groundwater contamination.In its ruling, NGT cited submissions from various parties and a joint committee’s report, stating that relocating the STP would incur excessive costs to the public. The committee highlighted that while the alternative site proposed by residents was close to a river, the area was deemed technically unsuitable for a sewage plant.The ₹25.5-crore project, backed by the AMRUT scheme, will employ Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) technology for efficient municipal sewage treatment. Although the inspection noted several sensitive locations near the proposed site, the tribunal emphasised the importance of modern sewage treatment facilities as critical to urban infrastructure and environmental protection.Recognising the absence of exclusive siting guidelines for STPs by Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board, NGT mandated that construction or operation of the STP cannot progress without obtaining necessary clearances. It also instructed that nearby public drinking water borewells be safeguarded against contamination risks, while demanding the establishment of a dense green buffer around the STP.The tribunal further emphasised the need for effective systems to control odour, noise, and mosquito populations, ensuring that untreated sewage is never released into open lands or water bodies.
