Centre to reply on emergency plan to stop river pollution

The National Green Tribunal today sought response from the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government on a plea seeking directions to implement an emergency plan to prevent pollution and contamination of rivers in western UP.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued the notice to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Centre Pollution Control Board (CPCB), UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), Uttar Pradesh government and others.
The next hearing is on July 14.
The tribunal's order came on a plea by NGO Jai Hind which alleged that due to the discharge of effluents from sugar mills, paper mills, slaughter houses and other chemical industries, the water quality of rivers Kali, Krishna and Hindon is degrading.

The plea, filed through advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal, states that CPCB, in an affidavit, has said that the water quality of rivers Kali, Krishna and Hindon is deteriorating due to the effluents discharged from various industries.
It also says that the analytical results of Hindon river reveal that its water quality does not meet the prescribed standard of Primary Water Quality for bathing.
"It is clear from the reply submitted by CPCB that the untreated sewage effluents are joining the rivers and there is a dire need for taking emergency measures for remedying and mitigating the pollution," it said.
"Direct the respondents to formulate and implement an emergency plan as prescribed under Section 32 of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 for remedying and mitigating the pollution of River Hindon, Kali and Krishna which are responsible for the deterioration of water quality of Yamuna," the plea said.