NGT seeks report from UP and Haryana on pollution in Yamuna

The committee for Delhi, comprising of former chief secretary of Delhi and a former member of the NGT, was constituted following directions in January, 2015 given by the tribunal in a different petition dealing with pollution in Yamuna.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the chief secretaries of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to file a compliance report in two weeks on its earlier directions in which full-time committees were to be formed by the two states for dealing with issues of pollution of river stretches flowing into the Yamuna.

The NGT had issued directions to UP and Haryana to appoint full time committees for execution of directions for dealing with the issues of pollution of the river stretches, of the two states, flowing further into the Yamuna. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

The directions came on a petition filed by environmentalist Sushil Raghav and a city-based NGO, Society for Protection of Environment and Biodiversity (SPENBIO). The petitioners had raised concerns about the pollution in Yamuna while contending that the polluted Sahibabad drain, Indirapuri drain, eastern Yamuna canal (Banthala canal) in Ghaziabad carry untreated sewage and effluent, and meet the Shahdara drain which flows into the Yamuna. They had also contended that storm water drains also flow into the major drains, causing pollution in the river.

“As regard the issue raised in this application we are of the view that the same can be referred to the committee constituted by this tribunal for Delhi itself. The applicant may furnish a complete set of papers before the said committee forthwith,” the NGT said in its October 26 order.

The committee for Delhi, comprising of former chief secretary of Delhi and a former member of the NGT, was constituted following directions in January, 2015 given by the tribunal in a different petition dealing with pollution in Yamuna. The petition was filed by environmentalist Manoj Mishra.

Back then as well, the tribunal had issued directions to UP and Haryana to appoint full time committees for execution of directions for dealing with the issues of pollution of the river stretches, of the two states, flowing further into the Yamuna.

The tribunal, while dealing with the petition filed by Raghav and SPENBIO, directed the chief secretaries of UP and Haryana to file the status of compliance, about the formation of full time committees, within two weeks.

While disposing the petition, the tribunal directed that the reports of the chief secretaries of UP and Haryana may be put up on December 18. It also directed that the directions be sent to the chief secretaries of the two states through resident commissioners. “Any failure in this regard may result in coercive measures being taken by this tribunal. If no report is furnished, the Resident Commissioners of Haryana and UP are directed to remain present in person,” the tribunal further said.