The Himachal Pradesh government has submitted its fourth six-monthly compliance report to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), defending the reported 9.601 million litres per day (MLD) gap in sewage treatment capacities. The tribunal, in its March 16, 2023 order, had directed the state’s Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena to file verified progress reports every six months. The latest report filed on August 31 covers the period from September 2024 to February 2025 and also responds to queries raised during the NGT’s November 7, 2024 hearing.
The tribunal had earlier also flagged concerns about inadequate data on faecal coliform levels in treated effluents, which impact river and stream water quality. The state has responded by installing online continuous effluent monitoring systems (OCEMS) at STPs (sewage treatment plant), linked to Central and State Pollution Control Board servers. It has also proposed shifting from bleaching powder to advanced disinfection methods.
According to the government’s affidavit, the reported shortfall of 9.601MLD is not due to lack of treatment infrastructure but stems from a mismatch between projected sewage generation and actual inflows to treatment plants. The projections — based on the 2011 Census, decadal population growth, and an additional 15 per cent to account for tourism and institutional inflow — estimated sewage generation at 93.86 MLD in February 2024. However, the state’s installed treatment capacity stood at 137.16 MLD, leaving a surplus capacity of 43.30 MLD.
“The apparent gap of 9.601 MLD arises because actual sewage inflow is generally lower than projected, owing to non-connectivity of households, partial commissioning of sewer networks in newly extended municipal areas, and seasonal variations in tourist inflow,” the affidavit filed by Special Secretary, Urban Development, Saurabh Jassal, clarified.
Officials emphasised that while 20 urban local bodies (ULBs) still lack sewerage facilities and seven ULBs have inadequate ones, existing sewage treatment plants (STPs) in towns identified as deficient are currently capable of handling the sewage actually received. In the 69-page-long affidavit, the state admitted that the gap is essentially linked to household connectivity to sewer systems rather than treatment capacity itself. As per available data, against 73,518 connections proposed in detailed project reports, 48,730 have been sanctioned or released, giving a provisional connectivity level of 66 per cent. However, officials conceded that precise household-level connectivity data remains unavailable until the next census.
“The Jal Shakti Vibhag (JSV) has been tasked with laying sewer lines in urban areas, though statutory clearances lie with the Urban Development Department under Section 141 of the Himachal Pradesh Municipal Act. It plans to complete sewer laying within six months of receiving clearances, subject to funds and material availability,” the state government stated in the affidavit.
The government argued that building STPs with 15–30 year population horizons is standard practice to avoid repeated capital investment and land acquisition. While this creates an impression of “excess capacity”, officials said the surplus is not redundant but ensures readiness as sewer connectivity improves.
The state is also exploring modular packaged plants under one MLD capacity, approved by the State Level Technical Committee in September 2023, to cater to smaller towns flexibly. Co-treatment of faecal sludge at existing STPs has also been initiated.
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Solid waste management update
Alongside sewage management, the state updated the NGT on solid waste management progress. With the recent notification of 14 new ULBs, Himachal now has 74 ULBs generating about 381 tonnes per day (TPD) of municipal solid waste. Of this, 375 TPD is being processed, leaving a gap of just six TPD, restricted to three towns — Manali, Karsog, and Nirmand. The wet waste is largely being treated through composting methods, while dry non-biodegradable waste is handled at 50 material recovery facilities, with non-recyclables sent as refuse-derived fuel to cement plants.
