No waste dumping within 500 metres of Ganga: NGT

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday ordered that there can be no landfill sites or garbage dumping within half-a-kilometre area of the Ganga between Haridwar in Uttarakhand and Unnao in Uttar Pradesh.

The bench also announced a penalty of Rs 50,000 on anyone dumping waste near the river.

During the hearing of a petition regarding the cleaning and rejuvenation of the Ganga, NGT Chairperson Swatanter Kumar said a huge amount of money had been spent on cleaning the river but desired results were not visible.

In a 543-page order, the green panel said all area within 100 metres of the river should be declared "no development zone".

The NGT had in April directed 13 polluting industries situated along the tributary or major drain of the Ganga river to be shut down.

In December, it imposed a ban on the use of plastic from Gomukh to Haridwar along the river.

--IANS

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