Srinagar, Sep 19: The proposed Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Allochi Bagh has been reclassified from the Red Category to the Blue Category under the revised pollution-control framework adopted by the J&K Pollution Control Committee (J&K PCC).

The change came under judicial scrutiny following a petition challenging the proposed STP near Friends Colony and Allochi Bagh. The High Court sought an explanation from the J&K PCC after noting that the project had earlier been treated as a Red Category activity before being classified as Blue Category.
In an affidavit before the High Court, the J&K PCC Chairman stated that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had issued a revised classification placing sewage treatment plants in the Blue Category, which the J&K PCC subsequently adopted and implemented in the Union Territory.
The CPCB framework places essential environmental services, including facilities handling domestic and household waste, in the Blue Category. Sewage Treatment Plants with a capacity of 5 MLD and above are listed under the category.
The classification became significant after a J&K PCC inspection in January 2026 found the proposed site around 25 metres from a residential area. At the time, the project was being treated as a Red Category activity and a 500-metre siting requirement was cited. The Regional Director had recommended shifting the site and obtaining fresh consent before construction.
On June 6, the High Court observed that following the revised CPCB classification and its adoption by the J&K PCC, the Blue Category did not carry the residential-distance condition relied upon by the petitioners.
The court consequently found no legal impediment to establishing the STP at the proposed site under the revised consent then in force.
While disposing of the appeal, the Division Bench clarified that construction and operation must strictly comply with the J&K PCC Consent to Establish and all applicable environmental norms, ensuring the plant does not cause pollution beyond permissible limits or create nuisance for adjoining localities.