National Green Tribunal
Subhas Datta vs Department Of Public Health ... on 20 May, 2022
Item No. 08 Court No.1
BEFORE THE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL
EASTERN ZONE BENCH, KOLKATA
(Through Video Conferencing)
Miscellaneous Application No. 01/2022/EZ
In
Original Application No. 79/2015/EZ
Tribunal on its Own Motion Applicant(s)
Versus
State of West Bengal & Ors. Respondent(s)
Date of hearing: 20.05.2022
CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE B. AMIT STHALEKAR, JUDICIAL MEMBER
HON'BLE MR. SAIBAL DASGUPTA, EXPERT MEMBER
For Applicant(s) : Suo motu
For Respondent(s) : Mr. Sibojyoti Chakraborty, Advocate for State,
ORDER
1. Mr. Sibojyoti Chakraborty, learned Counsel files Vakalatnama on behalf of the State Respondents; the same is taken on record.
2. One affidavit 07.10.2021 has been filed by Chief Engineer (Headquarters) of Public Health Engineering Directorate, Government of West Bengal; the same is taken on record.
3. One affidavit 18.05.2022 has been filed by Chief Engineer (Headquarters) of Public Health Engineering Directorate, Government of West Bengal; the same is taken on record.
4. Paragraph 5 of the affidavit dated 18.05.2022 which mentions the progress of work is extracted herein below: -
"5. (a) A mega Surface Water Based Piped Water Supply Scheme for coverage of Arsenic Affected blocks of Habra-I, Habra-II, Gaighata and Barasat-II re presently going on and the said project is expected to be completed by March, 2023. In this context it is pertinent to mention that the existing 065 nos. of Ground Water Based Commissioned Piped Water Supply Scheme (PWSS) in Gaighata block will be subsumed within this Surface Water Based Pipe Water Supply Scheme. None of these 1 06 nos. of Ground Water Based Supply contain any arsenic in water. It is respectfully stated that during the last 1 years there had been a significant progress with respect to the Surface Water Based Piped Water Supply Scheme for blocks of Habra-I, Habra-II, Gaighata and Barasat-II inspite of the pandemic situation. The details of overall progress made till date are stated below: -
Progress of Work:
i) Intake structure for extracting of surface water has been fully completed.
ii) 95% overall progress has been made in each of the works for construction of Madarpulli Overhead Reservoir and Ground Level Reservoir at Ashoknagar.
iii) 65% progress has been achieved for the Water Treatment Plant in respect of to civil and mechanical works and 80% progress in respect of chemical house.
iv) 75% progress has been achieved in respect of Clear Water Reservoir Pump House.
v) The filter annex building has been completed.
vi) With respect to laying work of pipeline 75% overall progress has been achieved.
It is respectfully stated that due to increase in the cost of land procurement, road restoration cost and electro mechanical cost a revised estimate for the said project had to be formulated and the increase in cost has duly been approved by the Finance Department vide a letter dated 03.09.2021.
It is humbly stated that even though the project was expected to be commission during this year, the same could not be achieved due to such unforeseen circumstances and the work is likely to be completed by March, 2023 which will provide surface water to 14,22,480 people of the said locality.
6. In addition to the above said mega Surface Water Based Piped Water Supply Scheme, there are 03 other mega Surface Water Based Piped Water Supply Scheme being implemented in 2 the District of North 24 Parganas the details of which are stated as under:
Sl. Name of the Mega Block Population Expected No. Surface Water to be date of Based Piped Water benefitted completion Supply Scheme (census, 2011) 1 Surface Water Haroa- 6,04,941 30.09.2022 Based Water Supply Rajarhat & (For Scheme for arsenic Bhangar-II Rajarhat areas of Haroa, Block) Rajarhat & March 2023 Bhangar-II for Bhangare-II & Haroa Blocks 2 Surface Water Bagda, 13,12,283 31.03.2023 Based piped Water Bongaon, Supply Scheme for Ranaghat-I & arsenic areas II, Bongaon Bagdah, Bongaon Municipality Block 3 Integrated Surface Baduria, 18,11,109 31.03.2024 based PWSS for Basirhat-I & arsenic Blocks II Deganga & Baduria, Basirhat-I Swarupnagar & II Deganga & Swarupnagar Total 37,28,333
a) The progress of rising main and pipeline distribution network executed during the last 18 months for the Surface Water Based Pipe Water supply Scheme for Haroa-Rajarhat and Bhangar-II has been 40 Kms and 1140 Kms respectively along with completion of 10 nos. of Overhead reservation in Haroa (6nos) and Bhangor-II(4nos). Total length of primary and secondary rising main completed in the three blocks till date 3 has been 261 Km, 207.4 Kms and 105 Kms respectively for Haroa, Rajarhat and Bhangor-II.
b) The distribution network completed till date has been 410 Kms out of 546 Kms in Rajarhat, 839 Kms out of 864 Kms in Haroa and 817 Kms out of 867 Kms in Bhangor-II Blocks.
Total number of Overhead reservoirs for the project are 45 out of which 26 have been completed as of now.
c) The work in respect of the ground level reservoir, substation work both civil and electro-mechanical along with the charging of substation work at Rajarhat block have been completed during last 18 months.
d) The physical progress of 100 MLD Water Treatment Plant with Intake jetty has been 15% and overall progress of the project is 60% till date.
7. For Surface Water Based Piped Water Supply Scheme with 187 MLD Water Treatment Plant, in Arsenic affected areas of Bagda, Bongaon, Ranaghat-I & II, laying of 6.62 Kms out of total 7 Kms, 1200 mm raw water rising main has been completed during last 18 months. Also for clear water rising main 6.18 Kms out of 6.65 Kms for 800 m diameter, 583 mtrs. out of 1010 mtrs. For 700 mm diameter and 6.95 Kms out of 9.12 Kms for 500mm diameter have been completed during the last 18 months. Works are going on in full swing for different components of water treatment plant.
8. With regard to Integrated Surface Water Based Piped Water Supply Scheme for arsenic affected blocks of Baduria, Basirhat- I & II, Deganga and Swarupnagar due to local problems the WTP site which was originally located on the plot under the Ministry of Labour, Govt. of India could not be acquired and hence a new site had to be relocated in order to construct the Water treatment Plant. The new plot of land which has been identified at Molajore and Athkur mouza and Barrackpore-I was owned by Neo Pipes and Tubes Co. Ltd. after detailed deliberation the district administration is in the process of handing over the said plot of land for installation of the Water 4 Treatment Plant. E-tender of Water Treatment Plant has been completed and Work Order issued dated 09-03-2022.
9. I humbly submit that so long the mega Surface Water Based Piped Water Supply Schemes are not completed, as an interim measure the answering respondent is committed to provide potable water to the people by installing Community Water Purification Plants (CWPPs) in Gaighata Block, thereby supplying 10 liters of water per capita per day catering to thousand people. 68 nos. of such Community Water purification Plants (CWPPs) in Gaighata block in most arsenic affected areas have already been commissioned and number of such CWPPs commissioned in North 24 Parganas are 122. The work for 335 CWPPs in North 24 Parganas in the remaining affected Arsenic habitations are ongoing including 11 CWPPs of Gaighata Block. The target date of completion of all these ongoing CWPPs is June'2022."
5. It is stated on behalf of the State Respondents that this project is expected to be completed by March, 2023.
6. We, therefore, direct the respondents to file their affidavit of current status as on 30.11.2022. This affidavit should be filed by 06.12.2022.
7. List on 06.12.2022.
..................................... B. Amit Sthalekar, JM ................................... Saibal Dasgupta, EM May 20, 2022, Miscellaneous Application No. 01/2022/EZ In Original Application No. 79/2015/EZ MN 5