A committee consisting of counsels for the Uttar Pradesh State Pollution Control Board, the Central Government, the brief holder for the State and Amicus Curiae on Tuesday informed the Allahabad High Court that huge amount of public money is getting wasted as large quantity of untreated water is still flowing into the rivers.
The division bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta, Justice Siddhartha Varma and Justice Ajit Kumar passed this order while hearing a PIL filed by Re Ganga Pollution.
The Court was further informed by the team that use of plastic bags is rampant in the city and the plastic waste which gets generated is choking the sewer lines. The team found that the drains which are untapped and are being presently treated by process of bio-remediation are discharging foul smelling water.
The Committee has raised doubts about the very process of treating sewage water by process of bio-remediation. The report also specifically mentions that 50% of the existing nallas are still not connected to sewage treatment plants, or if connected, are overflowing.
In a nutshell, the team had concluded that large quantity of untreated water is still flowing into the rivers and a huge amount of public money is getting wasted.
In compliance of the previous order dated January 28, 2021, A.K.
Gupta, Amicus Curiae, H.N. Tripathi, Counsel for the U.P. State Pollution Control Board, Rajesh Tripathi, Counsel for the Central Government and Manu Ghildiyal, brief holder for the State personally visited the STPs and various ghats and submitted their joint inspection report.
An affidavit has been filed by Officer In-charge, Magh Mela, Prayagraj, stating that 4,000 cusecs water is being released from Narora Barrage on regular basis. Shashank Shekhar Singh, Additional Chief Standing Counsel, after verifying from the officer present in court, stated that 4,000 cusecs water is being discharged on daily basis.
“We hope that during entire mela, a constant water level shall be maintained so that no difficulty is caused to the pilgrims taking dip in the holy river,”
-the Court observed.
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The bench asked the Chairman, UP State Pollution Control Board to file his personal affidavit, making the following disclosures: –
(1) The interval at which water samples are taken for testing. It shall clearly be specified whether any water sample is taken after sunset and before sunrise. In this regard, the extract of relevant records maintained by the Board in last three months shall be brought on record.
(2) What is the procedure being followed by the Board to monitor discharge of effluents from STPs at night.
(3) Whether the effluents are tested on the parameters laid down by the Central Pollution Control Board. The relevant records relating to testing of effluents from STPs of last three months shall be brought on record.
(4)The relevant records relating to monitoring of the effluents from untapped nallas that are allegedly being treated by process of bio-remediation shall also be filed. The affidavit shall disclose the mode of monitoring the water discharge from such drains and whether the same meets the laid down standards or not.
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The Additional Chief Standing Counsel prayed for a weeks’ further time to file an affidavit on behalf of the State Government, as directed by order dated January 28, 2021.
“The Nagar Ayukt, Nagar Nigam, Prayagraj and the Officer Incharge, Magh Mela, Prayagraj shall file their personal affidavits disclosing further action taken by them in the meantime for ensuring compliance of the ban imposed by the State Government on use of plastic bags of thickness less than 50 microns. In order to implement the said direction, we hereby direct the Senior Superintendent of Police to provide all possible assistance to the Mela Authorities/Municipal Authority. All efforts should be made to cut the supply chain of plastic bags of thickness below the prescribed norms,”
-the order reads.