Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has issued a notice to municipal corporations of three cities in the state seeking their replies on release of untreated sewarage and effluents into rivers.
Hearing a PIL filed in this regard on Tuesday, a division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice RK Patnaik issued the order to municipal corporations of Bhubaneswar, Smablapur and Rourkela.
The bench directed the three corporations to submit the steps taken for setting up sewage treatment plants in their cities. Besides, the municipal bodies have been asked to file replies explaining why untreated effluents and sewage were released to rivers causing their pollution.
During the hearing, the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) submitted that the water of rivers flowing through these cities had become toxic due to release of untreated sewage and effluents into them.
Setting the next date of hearing on April 8, the bench directed the officials of the three municipal corporations to be present in the court.
