CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has declined to entertain a PIL seeking intervention against discharge of untreated sewage water from Cuttack city into Mahanadi river. High court lawyer Anup Kumar Mohapatra had filed the PIL regarding the release of sewage water into the Mahanadi near the Sikharpur railway bridge. The petition came up on Tuesday while Mohapatra appeared in person and alleged that the unchecked discharge of the effluent was creating health hazards for the locals, having adverse effect on aquatic life and posing threat to the environment.
However, the two-judge bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice MS Raman advised the petitioner to take the issue to the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Though Mohapatra pointed out that the court had taken up a PIL on a similar problem regarding pollution of Kathajodi river and it was still pending before the court of Chief Justice, the bench said it did not want multiplying of such cases.
Accordingly, the bench disposed of the petition giving the petitioner “liberty to approach the National Green Tribunal in accordance with law”. According to the petition untreated drain water and sewage generated from households, hospitals, commercial establishments, railway station area, Ravenshaw University campus, College Square and Jobra was being discharged into the Mahanadi river near the Sikharpur railway bridge throughout the year.
The similar PIL pending before the court was regarding the unchecked discharge of untreated sewage water from Cuttack city into Kathajodi river at Khannagar.