Yamuna cleaning: MoEF, Delhi govt fined Rs 50,000 each
National Green Tribunal directs Haryana, HP to conduct study on water flow, quality.
New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each on the Union Environment Ministry and the Delhi government for not submitting a status report on rejuvenation and restoration of the Yamuna River.
A bench, headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, passed the order after counsels of the ministry and the Delhi government failed to appear before it and no report was placed on record.
Since nobody is present on behalf of the Delhi government and Union ministry and no status report has been filed by them, the bench said that a hefty fine be imposed on on them. “Our order dated August 8 was peremptory and the matter be listed for compliance within a week,” the bench said. The next date of hearing will be on next Tuesday (August 29).
The NGT also directed the pollution control boards of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh to jointly conduct a study on water quality and flow of the Yamuna River at the point where the river enters Haryana, and submit a list of industries located in its catchment areas.
The tribunal had earlier directed Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh governments and Central Pollution Control Board to submit an exhaustive report on rejuvenation and restoration of Yamuna River within three weeks.
The green panel also said pollution in the river was a concern as it was contaminated by industrial effluents and sewage. The tribunal had earlier banned open defecation and dumping of waste on the floodplains of the Yamuna and announced a compensation or penalty of Rs 5,000 for those who violated the order.
The green panel also said that 67 per cent of pollution reaching the Yamuna would be treated by two sewage treatment plants (STP) located at Delhi Gate and Najafgarh in the project’s first phase. It had also formed a committee, headed by the Delhi Jal Board
chief executive officer, to oversee the execution of works related to cleaning of the river and asked the committee to submit reports at regular intervals.