Mohali, April 4: A Mohali court has overturned a Dera Bassi court’s injunction, granting the Zirakpur municipal council (MC) permission to build a sewage treatment plant (STP) on its own land near Sanauli in Zirakpur.
The order came from Additional District and Sessions Judge Baljinder Singh Sra, who also directed the MC to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) and adhere to all environmental norms during construction and operation.
“The proposed STP is intended to accommodate the area’s growing population, and its placement will facilitate the efficient treatment and discharge of water after treatment into the nearby rivulet,” the court noted. “The STP will mitigate pollution and eliminate foul odours caused by untreated water, as documented in the detailed project report.”
The case originated from a 2009 petition filed by resident welfare associations (RWAs) from housing societies in the Krishanpura, Dhakoli and Gazipur areas—including Lakeview Complex, Green Valley Heights, Golden Sands Welfare Society and Green Valley Towers. The RWAs had challenged the STP’s construction, arguing that locating the facility in a dense residential area would pose health and environmental risks.
Their petition led to a temporary injunction granted by the Dera Bassi court on November 20, 2024, which has now been dismissed.
While rejecting the RWAs’ plea, Judge Sra pointed out that every housing society represented by the plaintiffs already had functioning STPs, a condition required for securing MC approval. “It is an admitted position that STPs have been installed in all the housing societies of the plaintiffs and are functional and operational. Thus, the plaintiffs cannot prevent the defendants from setting up an STP on land they rightfully own,” the court said.
The judge also noted that the lower court had misinterpreted legal provisions and over-relied on a PPCB letter that categorizes STPs under the ‘red category’ of industries. “The trial court overlooked legal provisions and factual aspects, and erroneously granted a temporary injunction,” he stated, adding that other relevant records were disregarded.
In their original argument, the RWAs cited Zirakpur’s master plan, claiming it prohibited hazardous or red-category industrial activity in residential zones. The Mohali court ruled that this interpretation failed to consider the functional necessity and regulated nature of the proposed STP.
