SC says NGT last hope for all in Ganga cleansing case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday transferred Ganga cleaning and sewage treatment case to the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

The apex court earlier on January 17 had sought a fresh status report from the Centre on its plans to revive the Ganges.

The report was sought on a 32-year-old pending public interest litigation ( PIL) filed by famous environmentalist M. C. Mehta.

In 2014, the apex court had said National Green Tribunal (NGT) was its "last hope" and referred the task of monitoring industrial units that are along the Ganges River to it.

The National Green Tribunal on December 7 last year sternly criticised the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam on attitude and approach to the Ganga Action Plan, saying that the institution is one of the best examples of uselessness, as it has done nothing since its inception in 1975.

"The Centre is spending around Rs. 20000 crore to clean the Ganga, but a useless institution like yours (UP Jal Nigam) and other agencies are effectively blocking progress and preventing the plan's implementation," the tribunal said.

This is not the first time that the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam has been pulled up by the NGT.

In August last year, the NGT had sent notices to the Uttar Pradesh and to the UP Jal Nigam asking both to explain as to why the western parts of Uttar Pradesh were not being provided with sufficient potable, clean and drinking water.