Puri's stand on crematorium's ashes discharge irks NGT

The National Green Tribunal today said it was "surprised and sad" over Puri municipality's stand of not suggesting measures to combat issue of contamination of eatables sold by food stalls due to ashes discharged from the crematorium located close to Sri Jagannath temple.
"We are surprised you can take up such a stand. There can be so many remedies to the situation. We are surprised and sad that you can't take care of such a small thing," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said and directed the authorities to take appropriate steps to address the issue.
The municipality had said there is no threat of food being contaminated by the ashes as the stalls are located 100-150 meters away from the crematorium.

The tribunal also observed that the Odisha government as well as the Puri municipality has not complied with its December 5, 2013 order to show how the sewage of the entire city is collected, handled and treated and whether there is any proposal to set up a sewage treatment plant there.
It directed the authorities to file "a complete drawing and map of drainage system and the drainage laid by the Municipality of Puri" before the next date of hearing on February 19, 2014.
The NGT also sought an answer from the authority on whether the entire sewage is being treated before being put into the sea and granted liberty to the petitioner, Subhas Dutta "to inspect and file his report with photographs in this regard".

Dutta in his plea has raised various environmental issues, including lack of proper drainage system in the city, indiscriminate construction of resorts on the sea beach there, contamination of food sold by eatables near the crematorium due to ashes discharged by it, etc.