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The Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (UKPCB) issued show-cause notices on April 9, 2025 to the agencies responsible for the operation and maintenance of sewage treatment plants (STP), the board told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in an affidavit submitted April 12, 2025.
The notices were issued under Section 33A of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act to the managing director of Uttarakhand Peyjal Nigam and the general manager of Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan. The action was taken following effluent analysis reports of STPs from January 2023 to February 2024, which revealed that “most of the STPs are not complying with the standards of outlet discharge”.
There are a total of 21 municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration-based waste-to-energy (WtE) plants operational across 10 states and Union territories, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) told the NGT on April 15, 2025.
Meanwhile, 26 states and UTs reported that no such WtE plants are operational in their jurisdictions.
The 10 states that have reported operational MSW incineration-based WtE plants are: Andhra Pradesh (2), Delhi (4), Gujarat (2), Haryana (1), Madhya Pradesh (2), Maharashtra (2), Karnataka (1), Telangana (2), Uttarakhand (3 refuse-derived fuel-based boilers in paper mills utilising MSW along with auxiliary fuels) and Uttar Pradesh (2).
The CPCB has directed the respective State Pollution Control Boards (SPCB) and Pollution Control Committees (PCC) of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh to ensure that all WtE plants operating in their jurisdictions possess valid authorisation.
Additionally, the SPCBs/PCCs of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh have been instructed to monitor stack emissions in accordance with Schedule II(C) of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules.
These states have also been asked to submit analysis reports of bottom and fly ash and to ensure that disposal or utilisation is carried out as per the provisions of the SWM Rules.
Furthermore, the SPCBs/PCCs of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh have been asked to provide information on leachate management and analysis of treated leachate, in line with SWM Rules.
Lastly, the SPCBs/PCCs of Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Telangana and Maharashtra have been directed to take necessary action against non-compliant WtE plants and to submit action-taken reports to the CPCB.
A previous report filed by the CPCB on January 10, 2025, had recorded the existence of 15 WtE plants in seven states.
The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), in its report dated April 15, 2025, told NGT that demarcation of the waterbody in village Brass, tehsil Nissing, Karnal district, was carried out on March 28, 2025. A total of 37 encroachments have been identified on the pond.
Further action for removal of encroachments is to be undertaken by the district development and Panchayat officer, Karnal and the block development and Panchayat officer, Nissing. Restoration of the pond is to be executed by the Haryana Pond and Waste Water Management Authority.
A letter petition received by the NGT highlighted that a substantial area of the pond had been illegally encroached upon by certain individuals who have constructed residential buildings on the land. Consequently, the original pond area of approximately 4-5 acres (1.6-2 hectares) has been reduced to just 3 acres (1.21 hectares). Despite this, no action has reportedly been taken by the relevant authorities.
Moreover, untreated sewage is being directly discharged into the pond and waste is being dumped in the area, causing environmental degradation and posing health hazards to the local population.