Chennai, Feb 16 (IANS): The National Green Tribunal's (NGT) Southern Bench has directed the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), Chennai Metrowater authority and other local bodies to take stringent action against dumping of sewage in open water sources.

The NGT directed these bodies to stick to the guidelines framed by the Tribunal for sewage treatment plants in Chennai on removal of septage from unsewered areas. It also directed the local bodies to regulate the movement of sewage tankers under local body limits.

The guidelines of the NGT were framed by Judicial member, Justice Pushpa Satyanarayanan and expert member, Dr Sathyagopal Korlapati under the Municipal corporation, Municipalities and the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewage Act of 1978 along with the GO of January 2, 2023.

The issue of private tankers dumping sewage into open water sources comes under the purview of the guidelines formulated by the NGT. In its study, it also looked into whether the infrastructural development matched with the expansion of the city.

Talking to IANS social activist R. Ashok Kumar said: "NGT is doing a great job in curtailing the menace of trucks dumping sewage in water bodies and untreated sewage being dumped by companies into water bodies. However it has to be seen whether the Greater Chennai Corporation and other local bodies conduct stringent monitoring. Ultimately at the execution level, it is the local bodies which have to act."

The NGT had earlier constituted a joint committee comprising of District Collector, TNPCB Chairman, PWD's Superintending engineer and a GCC official to look into possibilities of tracking vehicles licensed to transport sewage.