Yamuna cleaning far from satisfactory: NGT on report filed by agencies

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has observed the cleaning of Yamuna is far from satisfactory.

The NGT also observed that the reports filed by agencies, including the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the Delhi government and others, were deficient on various issues, including not providing the details of the drains being discharged in the river, monitoring the functioning of the sewage treatment plants (STPs) and restoration of the river's floodplains and wetlands.

A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted that based on the tribunal's earlier directions, the Delhi government, DJB, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Haryana had filed status reports about the river.

The bench, also comprising Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel, said the reports were deficient on various issues, including details of the drains discharging both treated and untreated wastewater in the river and the quantity and quality of the discharged wastewater.

Also, there was no mention of the STPs that had been constructed, upgraded and currently operational along with the capacity of the existing STPs, the bench had said in an order passed on October 17.

It noted the report failed to mention the steps taken for utilisation of the treated wastewater for agriculture, horticulture, construction activities, dust mitigation and other non-contact purposes and measures for rejuvenation and restoration of the river floodplain and the associated wetlands.

Details of those areas or colonies which have so far not been covered in the above scheme (sewage network system) shall be furnished indicating timelines for laying down sewage network system to trap all the sewage generated from authorised and unauthorised colonies and linking to the main drain for treatment and disposal, it said.

The green tribunal directed the CPCB to verify the facts and figures mentioned in the reports.

Besides filing a comprehensive report reflecting the correct position, the CPCB also had to find whether the sewage treatment was in accordance with the prescribed standards along with the details of the proposed activities for the sewage treatment, the tribunal said.

The matter has been posted on December 7 for further hearing.