NGT Directs Odisha to Install ETPs and STPs at 21 Hospitals

The Health and Family Welfare Department of Odisha has directed the Water Corporation of Odisha (WATCO) and the Odisha Water Supply and Sewerage Board (OWSSB) to urgently install Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) and Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) at 21 district headquarters hospitals across the state.

The directive comes in response to a notice from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), New Delhi, seeking an action-taken report on wastewater treatment infrastructure in government healthcare facilities.

In a letter addressed to the Member Secretary of OWSSB and the Managing Director of WATCO, Deputy Secretary Ananta Kishore Majhi emphasized the need for immediate updates on the status of ETP and STP installations for timely submission to the NGT and CPCB.

ETPs are essential for treating hospital effluents, using physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove harmful contaminants before the water is safely discharged or reused. STPs, on the other hand, treat general sewage, ensuring that only clean water is released into the environment—thereby safeguarding public health, protecting water bodies, and promoting environmental sustainability.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.