New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has issued an order to the Uttar Pradesh government asking it to pay Rs 100 crore for inappropriately managing the liquid waste in important districts like Pratapgarh, Raebareli and Jaunpur.
The green tribunal issued the order while it was hearing a petition about authorities’ failure to check pollution in Pratapgarh, Raebareli and Jaunpur districts of Uttar Pradesh. Untreated sewage is being released into the Sai river that passes through these districts.
A NGT bench headed by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said according to a report of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), bio-remediation has failed to reduce the pollution load. The other members of the bench comprising Justice Sudhir Agarwal and another member A Senthil Vel noted that the timeline for having place-funding arrangements had expired, but the remedial actions were not taken.
Such default poses a hazard to public health, the bench said, adding that water pollution leads to water-borne diseases which, besides being detrimental to public health, can at times be fatal, the bench said.
While funds appear to have been given for future remediation and it is stated that in due course pollution may be controlled, but the question is the accountability for the past violations, the green tribunal added.
The tribunal also set up a committee to monitor the government actions and meet within a month. The purpose of the committee will be to update the action plan for prevention and remediation of pollution.
The Central Pollution Control Board and the U P Pollution Control Board can simultaneously undertake joint visits to ascertain the status of the commissioning of sewage treatment plants and their connectivity with the households along with the final connectivity of sewers to STPs.
