10 MLD waste released in Ganga daily in Mirzapur, NGT told

Almost 10 million litres of untreated waste water is being directly pumped into Ganga every day only in Mirzapur from five big drains, the National Green Tribunal has been informed.
"There are five big drains which are the main cause of pollution of river Ganga in Mirzapur. At present there is 28.8 MLD sewerage production in municipal corporation of Mirzapur. There are two sewage treatment plants in the city with total capacity of 18 MLD," the Mirzapur municipality said.
The submission was made in an affidavit filed by the municipality after a plea of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) alleged that the local body's failure has led to the discharge of untreated sewage water in river Ganga causing irreparable damage to the ecology.

The affidavit filed by the executive officer of the municipal body has further said it had no role in framing schemes for sewerage disposal as UP Jal Nigam prepared plans for sewage management.
"UP Jal Nigam is required to render services for sewerage to state government and local bodies. UP Jal Nigam also prepares the plan for sewerage and drainage on the directions given by the state government from time to time.
"The municipality has limited expertise. The laying down of sewerage system and drainage is the direct function of UP Jal Nigam. The municipalities are only required to maintain it when after completion and construction of sewerage and drainage system is handed over by the UP Jal Nigam," the civic body has said in its affidavit.

Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for CPCB, said at a time when Centre is going full throttle to clean Ganga, the civic bodies should also proactively come forward to meet the desired goal in a time-bound manner.

On the issue of solid waste management, the Mirzapur municipality told the NGT that a unit of Jal Nigam entered into an agreement with a Gurgaon-based firm in 2011 but since there was delay on part of the contractors, the situation became difficult for the municipality to handle solid waste.
"They were left with no other option than to dispose of the solid waste through the old conventional method that is by digging the pit and then covering it. The pit is more than two km away from the bank of river Ganga," it said.

The tribunal had earlier issued notices to the Chief
Executive Officers (CEO) of municipal councils of Mirzapur, Chunar, Bhadohi, Fatehpur and Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh on the petition filed by CPCB.
In its plea, CPCB had sought a direction to UPPCB and the CEOs of these five municipal councils to "prepare a plan of action to clean river Ganga and water bodies, ground water and soil in a time-bound manner and recover the cost of preparation and execution of such plan of action from the polluters."
CPCB had also said it had identified one of the longest polluted stretches in river Ganga from Kannauj to Varanasi and the main cause of pollution in the river was discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage.