Polluted Yamuna: NGT calls compliance details from government

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday asked the Ministry of Water Resources and the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to file an affidavit listing the actions taken in pursuance of its previous orders to clean the Yamuna river.

The bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, asked the Director General of NMCG (Namami Gange) to submit the affidavit detailing the actions taken on its previous orders since 2015.

"We direct the Ministry of Water Resources and the Director General of Namami Gange to file a complete and comprehensive affidavit positively before the next date of hearing, keeping in view the judgments of the tribunal dated January 13, 2015, May 8, 2015 and the order dated February 8, 2017," the bench directed.

In January 2015, the NGT through its over 100-page judgement had directed taking up cleaning of the Yamuna river under "Maily Se Nirmal Yamuna Revitalization Plan, 2017".

The project involved rehabilitation of existing waste treatment plants and constructions of several sewage treatment plants. The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation is supplementing the efforts of the states for curbing pollution of the river.

Meanwhile, during its daily hearing on the pollution of the Ganga, the tribunal was on Thursday informed about 30 major drains which flow into the river.

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.

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 said on Monday.

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.

While the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) kept the number of industries at over 700, Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) put it at 6,385, and petitioner M.C. Mehta said the number was 1.82 lakh.

The tribunal several times lambasted the stakeholders for the lack of information and planning.

There are over 35 distilleries, 442 tanneries, 63 textile mills, 67 pulp and paper plants, and 28 chemical industries along the river stretch between Haridwar and Kanpur.

--IANS

kd/nir/vt