The National Green Tribunal is vigilantly questioning government authorities in the matter of M.C. Mehta vs. Union of India and Ors. [O.A. No. 100/2014] concerning cleaning of river Ganga and its monitoring for domestic waste. Hon’ble Supreme Court of India had transferred this matter to the NGT vide Order dated 24th January, 2017. On 6th February, 2017 the NGT bench presided by Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar came down heavily on government agencies including Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and blamed them for wasting public money without executing the task of cleaning river Ganga. Centre has allotted over Rs 2,000 crore under the “Namami Gange” program for the purpose of cleaning Ganga river. The Tribunal gave warning to the industrial units operating near the banks of the river to file their replies as to why their units must not be shut down.
In the previous hearing of this matter on 25th January, 20171 the Tribunal had undertaken to conduct this case on a day-to-day basis and had directed the CPCB to issue notices to all the industries particularly the petrochemical, distilleries and other major industries which are polluting the Chhoiya drain excessively which ultimately joins river Ganga. The NGT had also directed Central Pollution Control Board, UP Pollution Control Board, UP Jal Nigam, the Secretary to Government responsible for all the local authorities falling in Segment-B of Phase-I in the State of UP, Senior representative from Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India and the Additional Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources responsible for “Namami Gange” program to hold meeting to discuss and answer pertinent questions regarding treatment of effluent in the river.
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