No meaningful action taken to clean, restore Ganga tributary in UP: NGT

Hindon, a tributary of Ganga, is one of the polluted river stretches and no meaningful action has been being taken to clean it, the National Green Tribunal said Tuesday while directing the UP chief secretary to ensure coordination for rejuvenation of the waterbody.

The green panel said instead of shifting of blame from one department to another, steps should be taken for the restoration of water quality of Hindon.

"The river is practically dead and needs to be restored in the interest of the environment and public health. Meaningful progress must be achieved by the concerned departments including the Urban Development, Irrigation, Jal Nigam, and the Environment," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice A K Goel said.

The tribunal said all drains joining Kali, Krishna and Hindon should have in-situ remediation and plan for connectivity with the identified sewage treatment plant.

In-situ remediation is the process by which contaminated soil or water is treated without removing the pollution or other hazardous waste from its sub-surface.

The bench said "the Chief Secretary may ensure that there is coordination among all the concerned Departments in accordance with the action plan prepared by a committee headed by former high court judge, Justice S U Khan."

The tribunal said that environment compensation from violators has to be recovered if deadlines are not adhered to.

It directed the UP chief secretary to file a consolidated reply before February 2, 2021.

The committee told the NGT that chief Secretary assured in his written report that till pipe water supply is provided, water will be provided by tankers.

However, it has not been done till date, the committee added.

"These are issues which could easily have been monitored in the monthly monitoring meeting of the chief secretary as envisaged in the monitoring framework submitted by the State to the NGT. Chief Secretary should hold the monthly monitoring meeting regularly so that such issues get sorted out regularly," the committee said.

The committee also told the tribunal there has been no physical progress in installation of any of three sewage treatment plants proposed in the last one year.

"No action has been taken against any negligent officer despite directions of NGT. Performance Guarantee of Rs 5 Crore directed by NGT has yet to be deposited. Not a single village has been provided water through tankers," it said.

The NGT had earlier ordered "intensive survey" of the Kali, Krishna and the Hindon river in western Uttar Pradesh and directed the inspection of 316 industries which are allegedly polluting the water bodies.

The NGO, Doaba Paryavaran Samiti headed by C V Singh, a retired scientist of Haryana State Pollution Control Board, had alleged that due to the consumption of contaminated groundwater more than 50 villagers have died of cancer in western UP.

It was alleged by the petitioner that groundwater in Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Meerut, Bagpath and Ghaziabad districts was being polluted as a result of effluent being released underground by reverse boring by the industries.