Cancel license of tankers dumping sewage into water bodies: TNPCB

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has instructed the State Transport Department to cancel registration certificates of sewer lorries that dump sewage into water bodies and vacant land.

In a statement, the TNPCB said that as per the complaints received regarding the disposal of untreated sewage and effluent collected from various places by private tanker lorries into water bodies and vacant land in and around Chennai, the TNPCB officials conducted inspections. During inspection, they identified a number of tanker lorries disposing untreated sewage into water bodies and vacant land.

"The Board has given directions to the Transport Department of Tamil Nadu government to cancel the Registration Certificates of these vehicles under Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 and to make wide publicity on the cancellation of RC of tanker lorries and direction has been issued to concerned local bodies to take necessary action to prevent such complaints in future under the section 33 A of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 amended," the release added.

The board pointed out that frequent public complaints are received regarding the discharge of untreated sewage and effluent by tanker lorries into water bodies and TNPCB officials have also noticed the same several times and appealed that the sewage generated from the residential and commercial complexes should be disposed through lorries having necessary licence obtained from concerned local bodies to treat the sewage in the nearby STPs.

The statement warned that any illegal discharge of sewage into any water bodies or vacant lands will be dealt seriously, including prosecution. The public are also requested to inform the nearby Metro water office and District Environmental Engineer office of TNPCB and by contacting using18004256750 or complaint@tnpcb.gov.in.