Sikkim: Mangan DC gives 7 days to stop sewage discharge into jhoras, warns of closures

The Mangan district administration in Sikkim has directed establishments, government institutions and property owners to stop discharging sewage, wastewater and other effluents into local jhoras and water sources within seven days, warning that non-compliance could lead to closures, fines and legal action.

The order was issued on October 17 by Mangan District Collector-cum-Magistrate Anant Jain in compliance with directions issued by the Sikkim High Court in WP(PIL) No. 10 of 2026, In Re: Accumulation of Garbage and Wastes in Farmland.

The High Court, in its October 14 order, had directed the state government to take immediate steps to stop sewage from flowing into rivers and jhoras. It also directed the Mangan District Collector to appear before it on October 28. An earlier order dated September 29 had impleaded the Collector as a respondent after a report by the Amicus Curiae flagged overflowing septic tanks and greywater outlets.

Joint inspections conducted by special monitoring cells on October 16 and 17 identified multiple instances of pollution, including reddish effluent and waste flowing into Rimit Khola, overflowing septic tanks at government institutions and wastewater discharge into Rafong Khola jhora.

Under the order, the Municipal Executive Officer of Mangan Nagar Panchayat has been designated as the nodal officer for enforcement in urban areas.

Meat, fish and poultry shops, restaurants and food godown operators discharging wastewater into Rimit Khola have been directed to remove outlets leading to the waterbody and install soak-pit-based systems for greywater disposal within seven days of receiving the order. Establishments that fail to initiate corrective measures may be closed until compliance is certified by the municipal executive officer.

The Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Department has also been directed to stop effluent discharge from the Mangan slaughterhouse into Rimit Khola and arrange for safe waste disposal within seven days. Failure to comply could result in the slaughterhouse being closed. The department must also arrange alternative slaughter facilities and submit a time-bound plan for treating liquid and solid waste.

Three government institutions — the District Administrative Centre, also known as the Yellow Building, District Hospital and North Sikkim Academy — have been directed to desludge their septic tanks within seven days using the desludging vehicle designated by the Nagar Panchayat.

Planter's Hotel in Power Colony Ward has been ordered to remove the pipeline discharging greywater into Rimit jhora and install a decentralised soak-pit system within the stipulated period.

The order also addresses leaking septic tanks along Rinzing Namgyal Kazi Marg. Households and buildings found to have leaking tanks must use the Nagar Panchayat's desludging facility within seven days. The municipal executive officer has been directed to serve notices, maintain a list of affected premises and conduct routine desludging on a zone-wise basis. Owners whose septic tanks discharge directly into jhoras will face fines under applicable municipal bye-laws.

In rural areas, the Additional District Collector (Development), Mangan, will oversee enforcement.

At Rafong Khola jhora near a garage, the property owner and trade licence holder named in the order have been directed to stop discharging garage waste, greywater and greasy material into the waterbody and clear the accumulated waste within seven days.

The North District Milk Union has been instructed to repair its non-functional greywater management structure and ensure proper wastewater disposal within the same period.

At another location along Rafong Khola jhora, near Apna Bazar, the property owner and two trade licence holders named in the order have been directed to stop discharging blackwater and greywater and provide a septic tank or soak-pit arrangement. The order also calls for legal action in the matter.

The Additional District Collector (Development) will coordinate enforcement in rural areas, including the imposition of fines by the concerned Gram Panchayat or competent authority under the Sikkim Panchayat Act, 1993.

The order provides for penalties in addition to mandatory corrective measures. Urban violations will attract fines under applicable municipal bye-laws, while rural violations will be dealt with under the relevant panchayat provisions.

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 specifies that fines will be imposed only after the concerned parties are given an opportunity to be heard. Payment of a fine will not exempt violators from carrying out the required corrective work.

The Municipal Executive Officer and the Additional District Collector (Development) have been directed to serve the order on all named parties within 24 hours. Follow-up inspections will be conducted after the seven-day compliance period, and reports containing geo-tagged before-and-after photographs must be submitted by October 26.

The reports are to be placed before the High Court on October 28. The Station House Officer of Mangan Police Station has been directed to assist in serving notices and enforcing closures wherever required.

The district administration has also warned that unsatisfactory compliance could lead to proceedings under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, along with referrals to the State Pollution Control Board.

In its October 14 order in the same public interest litigation, the High Court had separately warned that hotels in Lachen and Lachung would be closed if they failed to comply with its directions within four weeks.

The matter is scheduled to be heard again on October 28.