NGT directs Uttarakhand to provide timeline for waste mgmt in Kedarnath

18 Oct 2024 CW Team

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has instructed Uttarakhand to submit a timeline for establishing proper sewage treatment and solid waste management facilities in Kedarnath.

The directive follows a plea alleging that untreated sewage is being discharged into the Mandakini river, contributing to pollution due to inadequate solid waste management.

To assess the situation, the tribunal had formed a joint committee including the Central Pollution Control Board member secretary, the district magistrate of Rudraprayag, and representatives from the regional office of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in Dehradun.

In an order dated October 4, NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted that the committee's report indicated the absence of a sewage treatment plant (STP) in Kedarnath. The committee also reported that no waste processing facility exists for managing approximately 1.667 tonnes per day (TPD) of solid and plastic waste during the peak season.

The bench, which also includes judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel, acknowledged the committee’s recommendations for improving waste management facilities. They noted the presence of substantial construction and demolition waste in several locations.

According to the report, a 600 kilolitres per day (KLD) STP is under construction and expected to be completed by December. However, the tribunal deemed this capacity "inadequate" and pointed out that no timeline was provided for connecting households to the sewage system.

The bench directed Uttarakhand to file an affidavit outlining a timeline for establishing adequate sewage treatment and solid waste management facilities in Kedarnath, incorporating the joint committee's suggestions. They also emphasized the need for proper maintenance of soak pits and ensuring full connectivity to the STP before the next season, with the affidavit to be submitted within six weeks.

A soak pit is a liquid waste management method that allows wastewater to seep into the ground through a covered, porous-walled chamber.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has instructed Uttarakhand to submit a timeline for establishing proper sewage treatment and solid waste management facilities in Kedarnath. The directive follows a plea alleging that untreated sewage is being discharged into the Mandakini river, contributing to pollution due to inadequate solid waste management. To assess the situation, the tribunal had formed a joint committee including the Central Pollution Control Board member secretary, the district magistrate of Rudraprayag, and representatives from the regional office of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in Dehradun. In an order dated October 4, NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted that the committee's report indicated the absence of a sewage treatment plant (STP) in Kedarnath. The committee also reported that no waste processing facility exists for managing approximately 1.667 tonnes per day (TPD) of solid and plastic waste during the peak season. The bench, which also includes judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel, acknowledged the committee’s recommendations for improving waste management facilities. They noted the presence of substantial construction and demolition waste in several locations. According to the report, a 600 kilolitres per day (KLD) STP is under construction and expected to be completed by December. However, the tribunal deemed this capacity inadequate and pointed out that no timeline was provided for connecting households to the sewage system. The bench directed Uttarakhand to file an affidavit outlining a timeline for establishing adequate sewage treatment and solid waste management facilities in Kedarnath, incorporating the joint committee's suggestions. They also emphasized the need for proper maintenance of soak pits and ensuring full connectivity to the STP before the next season, with the affidavit to be submitted within six weeks. A soak pit is a liquid waste management method that allows wastewater to seep into the ground through a covered, porous-walled chamber.

Infrastructure Urban

09 Jan 2026

Teknovace, Remmers Forge Rs 3 Bn Deal for Global Coatings Hub

Teknovace has entered into a strategic global partnership with Germany-based Remmers Gruppe SE to build a large-scale, export-oriented wood coatings manufacturing platform in India. As part of the alliance, Remmers will make a strategic equity investment of Rs 3 billion to acquire a 50.01 per cent stake in Teknovace in two tranches, marking one of the largest foreign strategic investments in India’s wood coatings sector.The partnership comes at a time when India’s wood coatings market, valued at around $1.3 billion (Rs 100 billion), is growing at an estimated 11% annually, driven by demand..

Infrastructure Urban

09 Jan 2026

Jyoti Structures Commissions Galvanisation at Second Nashik Unit

Jyoti Structures has commissioned galvanisation operations at its second tower manufacturing unit in Nashik, strengthening its in-house capabilities across critical stages of power transmission infrastructure production. The listed Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) company operates globally and has delivered projects for customers across more than 50 countries.The second Nashik unit, with an annual manufacturing capacity of 36,000 metric tonnes, has become operational following the completion of installation, testing and readiness of the new galvanising facilities. With this deve..

Infrastructure Energy

09 Jan 2026

Rosatom Connects First Kursk NPP-2 Unit to National Grid

Rosatom has launched the first power unit of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant-2 (Kursk NPP-2) into Russia’s Unified Energy System, marking a key milestone in the country’s nuclear energy programme. The initial grid connection took place at the end of the year, bringing a new source of low-carbon electricity online for the Kursk region and the broader Central Energy System.The newly commissioned unit is the first implementation of the VVER-TOI reactor design, which incorporates advanced safety and performance features. With an installed capacity of 1,250 MW, it is the most powerful nuclear pow..