New Delhi, Aug 16 (PTI) Underlining that the polluted river stretches in Bihar were on the rise, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has expressed dissatisfaction with the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) for not taking “strict action” regarding inadequate sewage treatment facilities.
The green body was hearing a case it has initiated on its own after taking cognisance of a newspaper report regarding the pollution of rivers in Bihar, including the Ganga.
In an order passed last week, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had filed a report dated August 9 which noted that capacity utilisation of the existing Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) remained an issue and certain established infrastructure were yet to be operationalised.
The report revealed that “the number of polluted stretches of rivers in Bihar has increased in the course of time”, the bench, also comprising judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel, said.
The bench noted that the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has also filed two reports about the status of the STPs in the state and the water quality status of the Ganga between January 2023 and March 2024.
The first report said NMCG has provided financial assistance for 32 STP projects having a cumulative capacity of 740.60 million litres per day (MLD) in Bihar involving an expenditure of Rs 4,866.11 crore under the Namami Gange Programme across 12 districts. These projects have a provision for the treatment of faecal coliform and disinfection as per the required standards.
The tribunal, however, observed, “The chart (regarding the status of STPs) clearly indicates that the construction of a very less number of STPs has been completed. The chart does not reveal if the constructed STPs have been operationalised.” The tribunal also noted the mission’s second report about the water quality of the Ganga meeting the “primary water quality criteria for bathing” across all locations in the state regarding pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), faecal streptococci and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD).
“River water quality is not meeting the primary water quality criteria for bathing with Faecal/ Coliform in the entire stretch of Bihar except one location namely Arrah Chapra Road Bridge…,” it said, noting the report.
Expressing its dissatisfaction, the tribunal said, “In spite of the fact that no proper sewage treatment facility exists and there are no adequate STPs in Bihar and that number of polluted stretches are going up, no strict action has been taken by the NMCG.” It asked the executive director of NMCG to file an affidavit disclosing the reasons for not taking action against the state authorities and also not ensuring compliance with the 2017 Supreme Court order of setting up STPs within the stipulated timeline of three years.
The matter has been posted for November 25 for further proceedings. PTI MNR MNR SK SK
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