Lack of seriousness in controlling Rajasthan’s Jojari River pollution: SC

The state government said it is engaging expert bodies to address the issue and that the measures it is taking will be included in its status report

The Supreme Court on Friday expressed concern over a lack of seriousness in removing pollution in Rajasthan’s Jojari River, noting it poses a health hazard to nearly two million people.

The Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the matter. (ANI)

“It seems none of the autonomous bodies in Rajasthan want pollution to be removed,” said a bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta in a suo motu matter on the worsening river pollution due to industrial waste and domestic sewage in Jodhpur, Jaipur, and Pali.

The bench observed that appeals of the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation Limited (RIICO), civic bodies of Pali, Balotra, and Jodhpur were pending before the court against a 2022 National Green Tribunal (NGT) order for cleaning the river.

The bench sought instructions within 10 days on whether RIICO and the civic bodies were keen to pursue these appeals. It posted the matter for hearing next on November 17 and directed the state to file a status report.

Additional advocate general Shiv Mangal Sharma, who represented Rajasthan, said that the appeals pertain to the ₹2 crore cost imposed on the RIICO and the civic bodies for failing to keep the river clean.

The bench said the cost was rightly imposed. “We will deal with it.”

Sharma said the state is engaging expert bodies to address the issue. He added that the measures it is taking will be included in the status report.

In 2022, the NGT directed the closure of pollution-causing industries and sought plans to control the pollution.

The Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance, observing that the matter is of serious concern. It said the constant discharge of industrial waste has made the river dead, poisonous, and dangerous to the villages, where the Jojari water is used for agriculture and cattle.

The river originates in the hills of Nagaur and flows through Jodhpur and Barmer before joining the Luni.