Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Gangtok: Mangan District Collector Anant Jain issued a strict seven-day deadline on October 17 for all institutions and property owners to stop dumping sewage into local water sources. The order follows a Sikkim High Court directive regarding widespread pollution in jhoras and rivers. Violators face stiff fines, legal action, and total closure of their facilities.
Joint inspections conducted on October 16 and 17 exposed raw effluent and waste flowing into Rimit Khola and Rafong Khola. Officials discovered overflowing septic tanks at government buildings and illegal discharge pipes at private businesses. The crackdown stems from a High Court case, WP(PIL) No. 10 of 2026, which is focused on the accumulation of garbage and waste. Collectors must appear before the bench on October 28.
Food businesses near Rimit Khola, including meat and fish shops, must now install soak-pit systems. The Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Department received orders to fix the Mangan slaughterhouse discharge issues or shut down. Three major government sites, the Yellow Building, District Hospital, and North Sikkim Academy, have one week to desludge their septic tanks.
Specific properties are under the microscope. Planter's Hotel in Power Colony must remove its greywater pipeline immediately. The North District Milk Union faces orders to repair its failed management structure. Any owner caught dumping blackwater near Apna Bazar faces potential prosecution. Enforcement falls to the Municipal Executive Officer in urban zones and the Additional District Collector in rural areas.
The administration remains firm on penalties. Officials will document progress with geo-tagged photographs to ensure total compliance. "Serious cases may be referred to the Sikkim State Pollution Control Board for penalties and environmental compensation under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, in accordance with the polluter-pays principle," the order stated. Police will assist in serving notices and shutting down non-compliant sites. All reports go to the High Court by October 26.
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