E-Paper
NGT summons local bodies for sewage discharge in Ramnadi
The NGT has directed all three local bodies to appear or get their representatives to provide the reasons through video-conferencing on March 15
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Pune has summoned the Pune Zilla Parishad and Bhugaon and Bhukum Gram Panchayats to give reasons for the Ramnadi pollution caused by indiscriminate sewage discharge.
The NGT has directed all three local bodies to appear or get their representatives to provide the reasons through video-conferencing on March 15.
The summons were received by the Pune Zilla Parishad and both the Gram Panchayats on Monday.
The move comes on the back of a petition filed by Pune resident, Krunnal Gharre, about indiscriminate sewage discharge into the Ramnadi.
The NGT has asked the local bodies to respond within four weeks for the ongoing hearing on the reinstatement of the Ramnadi.
Gharre had filed a petition with the NGT Pune in April 2023 against the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) for failure to prevent pollution of the Ramnadi.
The petition was filed for sewage being discharged into the Ramnadi at a few locations. In November however, Gharre learned that untreated sewage water is being discharged into the Ramnadi at 34 different locations.
Gharre said that during the recent hearing held on January 10, the blatant river pollution was brought to the notice of the NGT with the help of pictures and reports of the MPCB.
“We applied for an amendment to the petition and made these three local bodies (parties) respondents. I personally walked the entire stretch of the river and identified over 34 locations where sewage was getting discharged. Out of these, 15 locations fall in the jurisdiction of the newly added parties,” he said.
Ravi Andhale, regional officer, MPCB, said that a committee has been formed as a result of the petition filed with the NGT. “The MPCB and PMC conducted a joint visit to the Ramnadi and a report is likely to be submitted. The report was prepared and we had asked the PMC to provide a statement to include in the report. However, the PMC did not respond and was penalised for failure to give its reasons,” he said.
“The NGT has again asked the PMC to give its reasons. However, the ZP Pune and Gram Panchayats are not direct parties in the petition,” he said.
