National Green Tribunal Seeks Action Plan To Stop Discharge Of Polluted Water In Yamuna

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought an action plan from a committee headed by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to stop discharge of polluted water in the Yamuna river and prosecute the offenders. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed various authorities – Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Delhi Jal Board, East Delhi Municipal Corporation, Noida and Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board, to hold a joint meeting on the issue within a month. The bench, while posting the matter for consideration on May 20, said,

The Nodal Agency will be CPCB for coordination and compliance. The report of the action taken is furnished to this tribunal within two months by mail.

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by Noida resident Abhisht Kusum Gupta against disposing of sewer waste in the irrigation canal near Sector 137 in the Gautam Buddh Nagar district.

Also Read: Worried About Overflowing Drains? Now Lodge An Online Complaint To Yamuna Pollution Monitoring Committee

According to the applicant, sewer waste coming from villages situated near Sector 137, Noida, is being drained into the irrigation canal. The tribunal had earlier directed the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (Noida) and the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board to submit report on dumping of waste in an irrigation canal.

According to the report, the drain is originating from Kondli in Delhi and other drains are also connected to the said drain. The NGT noted,

Kondli drain carries polluted effluent from Delhi and thereafter joins river Yamuna at Noida Sector 168. Sewage is also being dumped into the drain in Sector 137, Noida. It was found that the water quality was not up to the standards. The Noida has also written a letter to the Chief Secretary, Delhi.

Also Read: In Pictures: Yamuna River Shows Signs Of Extreme Pollution With Toxic Froth

“In view of the above, action is also required to be taken by the authorities at Delhi including the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), and East Delhi Municipal Corporation. The coordination will be required by a central agency as two states are involved in dealing with the matter,” the bench also comprising Justices S P Wangdi and K Ramakrishnan, said.

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollution, clean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.