Himachal: NGT orders probe into debris dumping in Sutlej

National Green Tribunal constitutes committee of state pollution control board and forest department to probe complaint of SJVNL dumping debris of tunnel in river at Sunni

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken note of a complaint of debris being dumped into the Sutlej river and constituted a committee of the Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board and the state forest department to conduct an inquiry.

The Sutlej meandering by Sunni village in Himachal Pradesh. The National Green Tribunal order came on the complaint of Meera Thakur of Chintala village about the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) dumping the debris of the tunnel at Sunni in the river. (HT file photo)

The NGT order came on the recent complaint by Meera Thakur of Chintala village about the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) dumping the debris of the tunnel at Sunni in the river. The SJVNL is constructing the tunnel from Marola to Chintala village.

In her letter to the NGT, Meera Devi highlighted the damage to the forest area due to the dumping of the debris.

Taking cognizance of her letter, the tribunal asked the pollution control board and Shimla divisional forest officer to investigate the matter.

Holding the pollution control board responsible for compliance of its orders, the tribunal directed that if any violation of environmental norms is found, remedial and preventive action should be taken. It called for an action taken report within two months.

Meanwhile, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will be meeting his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar to discuss the Sutlej water sharing and imposition of water cess on power projects.