The Madhya Pradesh High Court has issued notice in a public interest litigation that raises serious environmental and public health concerns over the large-scale discharge of untreated sewage into the River Narmada in and around Jabalpur city. The court took up the petition and directed that state and local authorities respond to allegations that tens of millions of litres of untreated wastewater are being released daily into the river, contributing to pollution and posing risks to communities that depend on it for drinking water, agriculture and daily use.
The litigation highlights alleged shortcomings in the city’s sewerage management and wastewater treatment infrastructure. According to the petition, Jabalpur generates far more sewage than the existing sewage treatment plants (STPs) can handle. The petition asserts that inadequate operational capacity, frequent breakdowns and poor maintenance of treatment facilities have resulted in a significant portion of sewage bypassing proper treatment and flowing directly into natural drains that lead to the Narmada. The petitioner pointed out that the volume of untreated discharge is alarmingly high, estimated at nearly one hundred million litres per day.
The petition also cited water quality monitoring data indicating that contaminant levels in water entering or downstream of Jabalpur exceed permissible limits, with high counts of harmful bacteria, including faecal coliforms, and elevated levels of biological oxygen demand. Such contamination, the petitioner argued, undermines the right to a clean and healthy environment and violates constitutional protections connected to the right to life. The allegations brought before the High Court stressed that untreated sewage entering a major river system endangers both ecological balance and the health of people who rely on the river for essential needs.
In seeking judicial intervention, the petitioner urged the High Court to direct the state and local authorities to prevent further discharge of untreated wastewater, ensure that all sewage treatment infrastructure is fully functional and capable of handling the city’s sewage load, and implement regular monitoring of water quality with transparent reporting. The petition also asked for action to be taken against those responsible for permitting untreated sewage to enter the river and for a comprehensive plan to be developed to address long-term wastewater management.
The High Court issued notice to the State of Madhya Pradesh, the municipal authorities of Jabalpur, the pollution control board, and other relevant bodies, calling on them to respond to the allegations and justify measures taken or proposed to address the problem. By issuing the notice, the court signalled its intention to examine the environmental governance issues raised in the petition in detail, including whether statutory obligations to control pollution and protect water resources have been fulfilled.
The case reflects growing judicial and public concern over river pollution and the effectiveness of wastewater infrastructure in rapidly growing urban areas. It underscores systemic gaps in environmental regulation, urban planning and enforcement of pollution control measures. The court’s engagement with the petition may lead to directions mandating remedial action, improved infrastructure, enforcement of environmental standards, and regular oversight to ensure the preservation of the Narmada’s water quality and the protection of public health. The notice issued by the High Court sets the stage for detailed responses from the authorities and further judicial scrutiny of the environmental compliance and remedial steps needed to address the serious pollution challenge.
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