New Delhi: The union territory of Ladakh has issued a show-cause notice to and levied a fine on the Indian Army for activities allegedly leading to water contamination.

The show-cause notice sent last week to the station commander of headquarters in Leh, Ladakh, cited a video clip that went viral on social media “depicting an army sewage carrying container, engaging in the act of discharging untreated sewage directly into a Skara Stream, near water filling station, G.H. Road, leading to severe water pollution”, News18 reported.

“The clip has rapidly spread across, attracting significant viewership, and generating considerable concern within the online community," said the notice.

The notice refers to the Union government's general discharge standards of environmental pollutants from various sources under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, News18 reported.

“Whoever fails to comply with or contravenes any of the provisions of this Act, or the rules made or orders or directions issued thereunder, shall, in respect of each such failure or contravention, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees, or with both, and in case the failure or contravention continues, with additional fine which may extend to five thousand rupees for every day during which such failure or contravention continues after the conviction for the first such failure or contravention," it continues.

The pollution control committee has said the Army must pay “Environmental Compensation" (EC) of Rs 5,000.

The Fire and Fury Corps said on Twitter that this was a one-off mistake and "corrective measures" have been put in place.

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