Ensure availability of 10 cumecs in Yamuna: NGT to Haryana

The National Green Tribunal today directed Haryana government to ensure availability of minimum flow of 10 cumecs of water throughout Yamuna from Hathnikund in the state.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, while monitoring the implementation of its 'Maili se Nirmal Yamuna Revitalisation Project 2017', pulled the Haryana government for its lackadaisical approach in maintaining the natural "ecological" flow of Yamuna.
It expressed concern that despite commissioning of sewage treatment plants, water quality in Yamuna has not improved as these plants were still spewing untreated water to the river.
The green panel also directed Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh to appear before the chairman of Principal Committee, Shashi Shekhar, to resolve issue of minimum flow of Yamuna.

The Tribunal had in January constituted a "Principal Committee" which will be responsible for implementation of the 'Maili se Nirmal Yamuna Revitalisation Project 2017'.
The committee consists of secretary of the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), joint secretary of the ministry of water resources, chief secretary of Delhi, vice-chairman DDA, commissioners of all corporations and the state secretaries of Haryana, UP, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The Tribunal had earlier issued notice to the Chief Secretaries of Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh on the issue.
The green court had expressed shock over the Delhi Pollution Control Committee's analysis of the silt removed from the drains of Delhi.

"This report is shocking, it shows heavy metals beyond the tolerance limits. We direct the Corporation, Delhi Jal Board and DPCC to submit as to what it propose to do with the silt (waste) removed from the drains of Delhi...," it had said.
South Delhi Municipal Corporation had informed the bench that there were three sites for dumping silt and all of them are saturated after which it sought suggestions from Delhi government and DDA as to whether "it is possible to set up other site for dumping of silt".