NGT rejects Bihar’s plea seeking review of penalty imposed for polluting Ganga

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has discarded a plea to review its order imposing a fine of Rs 25 lakh on the Bihar government for taking no action over Ganga pollution.

On May 29, the green panel had imposed the penalty on Bihar, as there was no progress in cleaning the Ganga, not even a single sewage infrastructure project has been completed.

A bench headed by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, NGT Chairperson, said that the Bihar government’s action plan lacked concrete measures to combat pollution, including disciplinary and remedial action against polluters. The case relates to the cleaning of the river Ganga, considering heavy pollution and contamination that has rendered the river water unfit for bathing, drinking and domestic usage.

The NGT refused to agree with the Bihar government’s submission that the action taken by the state had not been placed elaborately before the tribunal.

While imposing the fine on Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, the NGT had also said that discharge of effluents is a criminal offence and directed the Uttar Pradesh government to prohibit any polluting industrial activity instead of partially allowing it.