Ladakh Administration Fines Army for Dumping 'Untreated Sewage'; Fire and Fury Corps ‘Regrets Incident'

In an unusual development, the administration of Union Territory of Ladakh has fined the Indian Army and issued a show-cause notice for its action leading to water contamination.

The show-cause notice, issued last week and sent to the station commander of headquarters in Leh, Ladakh, cited a video clip that went viral on social media “depicting an army sewage carrying container, engaging in the act of discharging untreated sewage directly into a Skara Stream, near water filling station, G.H. Road, leading to severe water pollution”.

“The clip has rapidly spread across, attracting significant viewership, and generating considerable concern within the online community,” said the notice.

News 18 has a copy of the notice.

The Ladakh administration and the pollution control committee referred to the central government order spelling out the general discharge standards of environmental pollutants from various sources under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

It also mentioned: “Whoever fails to comply with or contravenes any of the provisions of this Act, or the rules made or orders or directions issued thereunder, shall, in respect of each such failure or contravention, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees, or with both, and in case the failure or contravention continues, with additional fine which may extend to five thousand rupees for every day during which such failure or contravention continues after the conviction for the first such failure or contravention.”

The pollution control committee has directed the unit of Army to deposit an “Environmental Compensation” (EC) of Rs 5,000 for causing environmental damage.

The purported video of an army container discharging untreated sewage into the stream was shared by multiple users on social media platforms including Twitter.

Responding to one such Twitter user, the Fire and Fury Corps of the Indian Army unit in Ladakh said, “We regret this one-off incident which does not reflect the sentiments of Fire and Fury Corps. We remain committed to Clean and Green Ladakh, in close coordination with civil administration. Necessary corrective measures being put in place.”