Yamuna revival plan can’t move on your whims: NGT to govts

Warning state governments and public authorities of punishment, the National Green Tribunal on Tuesday said the Yamuna revitalisation plan needs to move on priority and not on “whims and fancies”.

Warning state governments and public authorities of punishment, the National Green Tribunal on Tuesday said the Yamuna revitalisation plan needs to move on priority and not on “whims and fancies”.

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“Without hesitation any further violation and non-compliance of the directions/orders will be taken seriously. A project which is envisaged to be completed by 2017 needs to move on priority basis not at the mercy of whims and fancies of some related to the project,” a bench headed by NGT chairperson justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The green court said it had tried its best and invoked “highest hierarchy of the state to ensure compliance of directions to restore river Yamuna to its original state”.

“Before we travel to the realms of issuing punitive orders to officials concerned we would grant final opportunity with the following direction that the state government concerned would not force us to dwell upon the punitive or contempt jurisdiction of the tribunal,” the court said.

The bench said it was unfortunate that various states and public authorities have failed to file status report regarding compliance of directions and orders on NGT’s ‘Maili se Nirmal Yamuna Revitalisation Plan 2017’.

“We certainly expect high priority by all state governments concerned with regard to execution of directions relating to cleaning and restoring of river Yamuna,” it said.

The bench also said that it is beyond its comprehension as to why the authorities failed to coordinate action.