NGT puts Centre, Delhi on notice over toxic Yamuna

New Delhi: A plea alleging that untreated sewage and industrial effluents were being discharged into river Yamuna through storm water drains on Wednesday prompted the National Green Tribunal to seek a reply from the environment ministry and others on the issue.

A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notices to ministry of environment and forests, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh government, Central Pollution Control Board, state pollution control boards of both states and others while seeking their replies in two weeks.

The matter has now been listed for hearing on January 20, 2017.

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by environment enthusiasts Sushil Raghav and Akash Vashishtha seeking stoppage of discharge of untreated sewage and effluents through two major storm water drains at Sahibabad and Indrapuri and Banthla canal.

Storm water drainage is the process of releasing excess water from streets, sidewalks, roofs, buildings and other areas.

“As per data available, Uttar Pradesh used to discharge more than 200 million litres per day (MLD) in the year 2008 of untreated, municipal sewage and industrial effluent into the Sahibabad storm water drain-1. The untreated sewage and effluent is discharged from various colonies in Ghaziabad and industries running in residential colonies in these areas.

“There is no common effluent treatment plant in these industrial areas to treat the waste and UP Pollution Control Board has not taken any step to ensure that treatment of effluents is being undertaken in such industrial clusters and that the treated effluent is utilised for alternative purposes or is disposed of properly,” the plea said.