18 hours Ago
Setting aside the injunction order of a Dera Bassi court, a Mohali court has allowed the Zirakpur municipal council (MC) to set up a sewage treatment plant (STP) on its own land near Sanauli in Zirakpur. Furthermore, the court of additional district and sessions judge Baljinder Singh Sra directed the Zirakpur MC to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), and comply with all its regulations and directives to ensure that the STP operated in an environmentally responsible manner. Notably, the resident welfare associations (RWAs) of various housing societies, including Lakeview Complex, Green Valley Heights, Golden Sands Welfare Society and Green Valley Towers, had filed a petition in a Dera Bassi court against MC, seeking temporary injunction against installation of STP in a thickly populated area where the plaintiffs, along with other inhabitants, have been residing, citing harmful effects to their health and environment.
These housing complexes are situated in the area of Krishanpura village, Sanauli road, Dhakoli, Zirakpur and Gazipur village. A Dera Bassi court on November 20, 2024, had allowed their appeal, which has now been dismissed and set aside by the Mohali court. Allowing the Zirakpur MC to install the STP, the Mohali court observed, “The proposed STP is intended to accommodate the area’s growing population, and its placement will facilitate the efficient treatment and discharge of water after treatment into the nearby rivulet.
The STP will mitigate pollution and eliminate foul odours caused by untreated water, as documented in the detailed project report.” The Mohali court said it was undisputed that developers/builders were required to install small STPs in every housing society as a precondition for obtaining NOC from the MC. “It is an admitted position that STPs have been installed in all the housing societies of the plaintiffs and are functional and operational.
Thus, the plaintiffs cannot prevent the defendants from setting up an STP on land they rightfully own,” the court said. While setting aside the order of Dera Bassi court, the Mohali court said, “The trial court overlooked legal provisions and factual aspects, and erroneously granted a temporary injunction, based on misreading of the regulations restraining the defendants from setting up the STP. The court wrongly relied on a letter from the PPCB, which classifies STPs as a ‘red category’ industry, while disregarding other relevant material on record.
” In their 2009 petition, the RWAs had contended that under Zirakpur town’s master plan, it was ensured that no hazardous or red category industrial unit will be established within the residential zone, creating health hazards to the residents..
