NGT seeks DJB response on fund utilisation for river Yamuna

The National Green Tribunal today directed the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to apprise it on how it planned to utilise Rs 1400 crore sanctioned under Centre's Namami Gange project for the Yamuna sewage system.
A bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar asked the DJB to file an affidavit to say what amount it would contribute to the project and how and for what would it use the funds provided by Centre.
The tribunal also asked DJB to respond to the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the sewage projects.
The bench's direction came after it was informed by Water Resources Ministry that around Rs 1400 crore has been sanctioned for Yamuna sewage system under Namami Gange project.

The green panel had earlier directed DJB to furnish the expenditure plan under the current budget on river Yamuna with respect to cleansing and sewage system.
The NGT, which had earlier restrained DJB from spending money on Yamuna, had asked it to submit complete details of works they planned to complete and the funds needed for it.

The panel had directed DJB not to surrender the amount allocated to it in the last fiscal for rejuvenation of Yamuna to the Delhi government.
The tribunal had also made it clear that the board would spend these funds during the year for implementation of its 'Maili se Nirmal Yamuna Revitalisation Project'.

Referring to the inspection report of the expert committee on the impact of AOL's festival, the petition said the panel nowhere suggests that the pollution of Yamuna is due to religious or cultural interference.
"Hence, while ensuring that all events which are conducted on the river bed are conducted in the most eco-friendly manner, it also has to be considered that citizens of India are bestowed with cultural and religious rights and the balance between the two has to be ensured and none can be effaced...
"The same is also in public interest as cultural, traditional and religious beliefs help in preservation of rivers and environment rather than damaging it. Hence, the same is also part of environmental concern and management and poses legal and substantial questions with respect to environmental concern and management," it said.

The plea said that successful conduct of the World Cultural Festival has brought Yamuna "back" into limelight without causing any "ostensible" pollution to the river which has brought "forth the need for reviving river-man relationship as that being of a mother and child as has been the culture of this country from time immemorial".
"From ancient times all major cultural and religious events in various parts of India have had deep connection to the rivers and particularly unquestionably sacred rivers like Ganga and Yamuna which also includes Kumbh, Magh Mela have not been responsible as the dominant or primary source of pollution in rivers," it said.

It said the primary source of pollution in rivers is industrialisation, western lifestyle and dependency on machines which have evolved in the last decades.