New Delhi: Dumping of sewage in water bodies is an offence, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) said on Tuesday while slapping a penalty of Rs 25 lakh on the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government for its failure to stop the discharge of dirty water into Upper Ganga canal. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said that adequate steps have not been taken for proper waste management and its treatment. The green panel said that a clean environment is a fundamental right and the apathy by the authorities has to be dealt with coercive action.
The green panel noted the submission of the state government that a sewage treatment plant at Niwari will be completed within six months and asked the urban development ministry to give an undertaking with a performance guarantee of 35 lakh. The tribunal said,
The chief secretary may furnish progress report to this tribunal. Having regard to the serious implication on public health, the matter must be seen with due attention from the highest level of authorities instead of being left to the lowest level.
NGT had earlier constituted a joint committee of Director of local bodies and Chief Engineer, Irrigation Department to prepare short term and long term action plans with timelines for stopping the pollution, reversing the damage and prosecuting the offenders. The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by local resident Vivek Tyagi alleging that Niwari Nagar Panchayat has illegally constructed a drainage system to Upper Ganga canal belonging to UP irrigation department.
According to the applicant, Niwari Nagar Panchayat has illegally opened the municipal drains into two ponds which are polluting the water body resulting in contamination of the groundwater. “Not only this, even some municipal garbage generated from the town is being dumped in the said two ponds, which is threatening the existence of these water bodies,” the application said. In the absence of the facility for treating domestic wastewater, the drainage system serves as a channel to carry wastewater into the Upper Ganga canal thereby polluting it and other water bodies.
Also Read: Over 60 Per cent Of Urban India’s Sewage Enters Water Bodies Untreated, Said National Green Tribunal
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.
