Centre seeks action plans from municipalities, ULBs on Ganga

Concerned over unabated pollution of River Ganga, the Centre today directed 118 municipalities, urban local bodies (ULBs) in five states to furnish action plans for reducing pollution or face legal action for non-compliance.
The National Mission on Clean Ganga (NMCG) has directed 118 municipalities, ULBs in UP, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and West-Bengal and 687 industrial units in the states of UP, Uttrakhand, Bihar and West-Bengal to furnish the action plans directly to the concerned State Program Management Group (SPMGs) in the respective state with a copy to the NMCG, a Water Resources Ministry release here today said.
The report sought concern construction/rehabilitation or upgradation of the sewage treatment plants (STPs), installation of requisite equipments/augmentation of the STPs by such municipalities/ urban local bodies and Effluent Treatment Plants/Common Effluent Treatment Plant (ETPs/CETPs), zero liquid discharge/real time monitoring for the discharge of trade effluents for abatement of pollution by the industries, it said.

"In the event of non-compliance of the notice, the NMCG will be constrained to take all necessary steps and make necessary submissions before the Supreme Court and before the National Green Tribunal, besides taking such other legal actions as may be deemed appropriate," the release said.
Ganga is facing serious threats due to discharge of increasing quantities of sewage effluents, trade effluents and other pollutants on account of rapid urbanisation and industrialisation.
With a view to take remedial measures for preventing, controlling and abating pollution in river Ganga and in view of the orders/directions issued, from time to time, by the Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal, it is necessary and expedient for the identified municipalities/urban local bodies and industries, who are discharging sewage/trade effluent, to prepare necessary action plans with specific time-bound actions, it further said.