NGT directs 100% treatment of sewage discharged into rivers

NEW DELHI: Water pollution in India is at an alarming level, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) said and directed 100 per cent treatment of sewage discharged into the rivers by March 31, 2020. The tribunal warned that if its directions are not followed, all concerned local authorities and departments of union territories (UTs) and state governments will be liable to pay a fine of Rs 5 lakh per month per drain in case of river Ganga and Rs 5 lakh for non-compliance of directions in commencement of setting up of sewage treatment plants.

The NGT also asked an institutional mechanism be evolved for ensuring compliance with its directions. The NGT asked chief secretaries of all states and UTs to regularly monitor the progress of the work, and at national level, the monitoring be carried out by the Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti with the assistance of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The NGT bench, responsible for these directions, said, “For this purpose, a monthly meeting must be held at the central level with the chief secretaries of all states and UTs to take stock of the progress and to plan further action. NMCG will be the nodal agency for compliance who may take assistance of CPCB and may give its quarterly report to this tribunal commencing April 1, 2020.”

The chief secretaries may set up individual monitoring mechanisms at state level specifying accountability of nodal authorities not below the secretary level and ensuring appropriate adverse entries in ACRs of erring officers, it said. The bench further added that it is the responsibility of the state to provide clean drinking water to its citizens as this is a part of Right to Life. It also said that water pollution in any form was required to be stopped completely and that if the authorities are unable to do so, the heads of these authorities must be held accountable and prosecuted accordingly.