Table of Contents
Background of the Matter
- An order was made in a suo moto case registered by the High Court in the year 2006, to protect and restore the river.
- Order: The Allahabad High Court sought responses from various State authorities in UP with respect to
- protection of river Ganga and
- the steps taken by it to ensure that the water quality of the river is not deteriorated.
- Further, on 28th January, the Uttar Pradesh State Pollution Control Board told the Allahabad High Court that the water of river Ganga is not fit for drinking purpose.
Committee Findings
- A committee consisting of counsels for the U.P. State Pollution Control Board, the Central Government, the brief holder for the State and Amicus Curiae (A.K. Gupta) on Tuesday (09th February) informed the Allahabad High Court that large quantity of untreated water is still flowing into the rivers and a huge amount of public money is getting wasted.
Committee Findings
- The Bench of was further informed by the team that use of plastic bags is rampant in the city and the plastic waste which gets generated is choking the sewer lines.
Committee Findings
- The drains which are untapped and are being presently treated by process of bio-remediation are discharging foul smelling water.
- The Committee raised doubts about the very process of treating sewerage water by process of bioremediation.
- Bioremediation is a process used to treat contaminated media, including water, soil and subsurface material, by altering environmental conditions to stimulate growth of microorganisms and degrade the target pollutants.
Court’s Response
- The Court also took into account the submission made by other parties including Officer Incharge, Magh Mela, Prayagraj. Regarding Magh Mela, the Court said,
- “We hope that during entire mela, a constant water level shall be maintained so that no difficulty is caused to the pilgrims taking dip in the holy rivers.”
Court’s Response
- The Court also noted that there are repeated allegations that during night time, the STPs are shut down and the sewage water is directly discharged into the rivers.
- Innocent citizens drink Ganga water out of reverence without knowing the harmful contents and the least expected from the authorities is to notify the extent of harmful contents at appropriate locations including at Ganga Sagar in West Bengal, the National Green Tribunal said
- It is a pity that even after constant monitoring by the Supreme Court for 34 years (1985-2014) and by this tribunal for the last six years and, 46 years after enactment of the Water Act making discharge of pollutants in waterbodies a criminal offence, pollutants continue to be discharged in the most holy river, the tribunal had said.
- It directed that progress reports may be furnished by the concerned five states to the NMCG on or before June 30, 2021 and NMCG may give its consolidated progress report with its recommendations to it by July 15, 2021 by e-mail.
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