New Delhi, Jan 16: The National Green Tribunal has directed Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand government to identify seriously polluting industries located on the banks of Ganga and apprise it about “quantity and quality” of discharge generated by them in the river.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed both state governments to inform it about the number of teams required for inspecting these “seriously polluting” industries from Haridwar to Kanpur.
“Department of Urban Development of Uttarakhand shall inform the Tribunal about the complete programme in relation to discharge of any sewage or effluent into the river Ganga.
It will state the quantity and quality of discharge. “Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (UPCB) and Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) shall submit analysis report before the Tribunal positively before the next date of hearing,” the bench, also comprising Justice U D Salvi, said.
The green panel also ordered a joint inspection by a team consisting officials from Central Pollution Control Board, UPPCB, UPCB and a representative from Environment Ministry at points where tributaries of river Ganga from Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh meet the Ganga.
“They will clearly state the quality of the water, quantum of effluent and sewage that is containing in each of these tributaries or river,” the bench said.
It directed Uttarakhand government to take a clear stand on industrial pockets located at Haridwar within two weeks. Earlier, the Tribunal had directed the Centre not to release funds for cleaning the river from Gomukh to Kanpur without its nod, chiding the two states for failing to identify the serious polluting locations.
Irked at the lackadaisical approach of officials of the two states for failing to enumerate the causes for pollution and the locations affected, the bench had asked the Ministry of Water Resources and Ganga Rejuvenation, through National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA), not to release funds to the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments without its approval.
