Sikkim High Court orders Statewide checks on industrial waste disposal, water pollution

BIJOY GURUNG

Hotels without SPCB consent face closure after March 31, 2027

GANGTOK,: The High Court of Sikkim has ordered inspections of pharmaceutical companies and other industries across the State to check their waste management systems and prevent the discharge of waste into rivers and streams.

The court also directed the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) to verify whether hotels have obtained the required consent to operate and are complying with pollution control conditions. The directions were issued during a PIL hearing on October 28.

The State Pollution Control Board (SPCB), together with the District Administration and the District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs), is directed to carry out joint inspections of pharmaceutical companies and other industries across all districts, said the division bench of Chief Justice A Muhamed Mustaque and Justice Bhaskar Raj Pradhan.

“These inspections shall ascertain the adequacy of the waste management systems in place and verify whether any effluents or waste materials are being discharged from industries, hotels, or other establishments into local rivers, water channels, and streams. Additionally, the SPCB shall verify that all hotels have secured the requisite consent and are functioning in strict compliance with the terms and conditions specified therein,” said the division bench.

Sikkim has several pharmaceutical manufacturing units, including facilities located in the southern and eastern parts of the State close to rivers, where the inspection drive will examine the adequacy of waste management arrangements and compliance with pollution control requirements.

During the PIL hearing, the High Court of Sikkim was informed by the Mangan district administration that inspections have been conducted and directions issued to household and hotel owners in Lachen and Lachung to stop discharging waste into streams, jhoras, and rivers.

The SPCB superintendent engineer submitted to the court that time up to 31^st March 2027 was given to all hotels to obtain consent from the SPCB, if they have not taken such consent.

We make it clear that if no consent is obtained from the SPCB, immediate action shall be taken by the SPCB to close down those hotels which operate without consent after 31.03.2027, said the High Court of Sikkim.

During a previous hearing of a suo moto PIL, the High Court of Sikkim had directed an inspection of waste management facilities in Lachung and Lachen. Subsequently, the Mangan District Legal Services Authority submitted its report to the court which noted the findings as “alarming” during the subsequent PIL hearing on October 14.

The report highlighted the discharge of wastewater from septic tanks and household outlets into local water channels, which eventually flow into Lachen Chu and Lachung Chu, the two main tributaries of the Teesta River.

Following the directives, authorities in Mangan district inspected sewage discharge points in Lachen and Lachung to identify solutions for the disposal of wastewater, following the strict directions of the High Court of Sikkim to stop the discharge of untreated sewage into rivers and streams.

Mangan District Collector Anant Jain led a joint inspection on October 24, accompanied by officials from various departments and the Pipons of Lachen and Lachung. The team examined existing sewage disposal arrangements and explored measures such as soak pits and septic tanks wherever feasible.

Lachen and Lachung are two premier tourism destinations in North Sikkim, attracting nearly 4,000 tourists daily during peak tourism season.