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GANGTOK, OCT 23: The High Court of Sikkim has warned that hotels failing to comply with directions to stop discharging untreated sewage into streams feeding the Teesta river will have to be closed, highlighting serious sanitation deficiencies in the tourist destinations of Lachen and Lachung.

In an order dated October 14 while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the accumulation of garbage and waste in farmland, a division bench comprising Chief Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque and Justice Bhaskar Raj Pradhan took serious note of a report submitted by the Sikkim State Legal Services Authority, based on an inspection conducted by the District Legal Services Authority, Mangan, at Lachen and Lachung on September 22.

The report found that septic-tank outlets from households and hotels were releasing untreated wastewater into open drains, jhoras and streams that eventually flow into Lachen Chu and Lachung Chu, major tributaries of the Teesta. Direct sewage discharge into the Lachung Chu was also observed, with foul odour emanating from the river.

Describing the situation as a “very sorry state of affairs”, the Court said such discharge “should stop immediately”.

The authorities have been directed to issue necessary instructions to hotels and households and report compliance within four weeks. The bench warned that hotels failing to comply within the stipulated period would have to be closed.

The report highlighted the pressure of seasonal tourism on inadequate sanitation facilities. Lachen has a resident population of 3,010, besides 1,575 tourists and floating visitors daily during peak season. Lachung has 3,332 residents and an additional 2,309 visitors daily, according to village survey data for 2026 plus more than (1500 + 1900) 3400 army population in Lachung and Lachen.

The findings also exposed practical difficulties in removing septic waste from properties located far from roads, while transporting collected sludge to Gangtok for treatment was described as difficult and expensive.

The report also records that the Army in the Thangu area of Lachen informed the inspection team that it had constructed designated pits for liquid waste and was trialling a bacteria-based treatment process intended for high-altitude conditions. Its effectiveness is expected to be assessed over the following six to seven months.

The report says the method could potentially be extended to local residents if the trial proves successful. However, the proposed process remains under evaluation and cannot yet be treated as an established solution for the region.

A proposed sewerage system and treatment plants for Lachen and Lachung under the Vibrant Villages Programme have encountered uncertainty over eligibility for central funding. The State's Public Health Engineering Department has argued that the projects are necessary for pollution abatement of the Teesta, with a further response from the National River Conservation Directorate awaited, according to the report.

The Court has directed the State Government to identify locations requiring sewage treatment plants in all six districts within three weeks and communicate with the Ministry of Jal Shakti within the following week. Periodic progress reports must be submitted until completion, with an initial compliance report due within five weeks.

The Sikkim State Legal Services Authority has also been directed to coordinate district-level assessments, with amicus curiae Tara Devi Chettri tasked with compiling information on waste-management conditions across the State. The Government must provide additional funds for the exercise.

The order raises broader concerns about whether sanitation infrastructure has kept pace with tourism growth in environmentally sensitive Himalayan settlements. While enforcement against polluting establishments may be necessary, lasting results will depend on functional treatment facilities, practical waste-disposal systems and sustained coordination between State and central authorities.

The Court impleaded the Dzumsas of Lachen and Lachung and permitted the concerned Pollution Control Board officials, local Pipons and the District Collector of Mangan to appear at the next hearing.

The matter is listed for October 28, 2026.

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