The Health and Family Welfare Department of Odisha has instructed the Water Corporation of Odisha (WATCO) and the Odisha Water Supply and Sewerage Board (OWSSB) to urgently install effluent treatment plants (ETPs) and sewerage treatment plants (STPs) at 21 district headquarters hospitals across the state.

This directive follows a notice from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), New Delhi, requesting an action-taken report regarding wastewater treatment infrastructure in government healthcare facilities.

In a letter addressed to the Member Secretary of OWSSB and the Managing Director of WATCO, Deputy Secretary Ananta Kishore Majhi reiterated the urgency of providing status updates on the establishment of ETPs and STPs for submission to the NGT and CPCB.

ETPs are designed to treat hospital wastewater by removing pollutants and contaminants using a combination of physical, chemical, and biological processes. These systems ensure the treated water is safe for environmental discharge or reuse. STPs, meanwhile, purify general wastewater before releasing it back into the environment, playing a crucial role in maintaining public health, protecting water quality, and supporting ecosystem sustainability.