Silchar: The Silchar Municipal Corporation has issued a strict directive requiring all households to build proper septic tanks and soak pits within 21 days, warning that violations will draw penalties. The order follows inspections that found several residences discharging sewage directly into municipal drains, causing blockages, contamination and damage to the drainage system.

Officials said the absence of basic sanitation structures in some homes has been undermining the city’s infrastructure and creating health risks. Citing provisions of the Assam Municipal Corporation Act, 2022 and the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, Commissioner Srishti Singh, IAS, said every household is legally required to maintain its own sanitation facilities.

The Corporation stressed that a septic tank connected to a functional soak pit is essential to keep drains clear and to prevent unsafe practices that endanger both workers and residents. Homes found in violation have been given 21 days to comply.

Commissioner Singh said the directive will be enforced without exceptions. She added that strict action will follow if households fail to meet the deadline, as the Corporation moves to improve sanitation standards and reduce strain on the city’s drainage network.