NGT to inspect status of sewage treatment plants in Garhmukteshwar

Tribunal had slammed state's Jal Nigam for building STP on the drains joining Ganga unplanned

A committee set up by the National Green Tribunal to inspect the status of two sewage treatment plants (STP) in Garhmukteshwar in western Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday submitted its report to the green panel.

The committee submitted its report before a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar which asked advocate Ritwick Dutta, appointed as local commisioner, to file the detailed report in the NGT Registry.

The green panel asked all the parties and stakeholders in the case to file their responses on the report which highlights the actual pollution load on the Garh drain and Brijghat drain, besides the status of the STPs.

Besides the local commissioner, the committee also comprised Director from Ministry of Water Resources and a scientist from the Central Pollution Control Board.

The bench the posted the matter for next hearing on February 23.

Earlier the bench had ordered a CBI probe into the execution of the Ganga cleaning project after it noted that Rs 31.82 crore was spent on two STPs and a 58-km long sewerage line project without due analysis and verification of the actual pollution load in the Garh drain and Brijghat drain.

NGT had slammed the state's Jal Nigam for building the STP on the drains joining Ganga without any survey and said it had wasted Rs 1500 crore since 1987 and still not cleaned "even a single drop" of the river.