Officials to pay for faults in sewage treatment plants: NGT

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday said officials involved in designing the sewage treatment plants (STPs) of drains flowing into Ganga river will lose salary if faults are found in those plants.

The NGT on Friday summoned the engineers, officials and the contractor, who had prepared the detailed project report (DPR) for setting up of the three MLD and six MLD treatment plants at Garh drain.

The tribunal said: "We make it clear that in the event of default, the salary of Chief Engineer as well as that of the concerned officer shall remain attached."

The officials have been asked to be present before the tribunal on February 13.

"They should show what survey was conducted, data prepared in support of DPR and consequently for the STP," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

Since February 6 this year, when the Supreme Court forwarded the matter of pollution of the river to the NGT, the tribunal is hearing the case on a daily basis.

The tribunal was earlier told about 30 major drains which flow into the river.

So far, the tribunal has pulled up the authorities stating that the river has not been cleaned, though the entire money is spent.

"Not a single drop of the river water has been cleaned so far," a bench headed by the Chairperson earlier said.

The difference in data presented by various authorities and the petitioner on the number of industries in Uttar Pradesh between Haridwar and Unnao near Kanpur also reflected on the complete lack of planning to clean the river.

--IANS

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