[Discharge Of Untreated Sewage In River Yamuna From Vrindavan And Kosi] NGT Directs UP's Chief Secretary To Review Remedial Action,

The National Green Tribunal has directed Uttar Pradesh's Chief Secretary, to look into the issue discharge of untreated sewage and waste water/effluents from Vrindavan and Kosi towns in river Yamuna and Kosi drain near Sunrakh, and review the remedial action.

A five-member Bench of the National Green Tribunal, headed by the Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel issued the direction on Thursday, and will take up the matter for further consideration 25th October 2021.

The Chief Secretary has been asked to review the remedial action, with assistance of concerned officers in pursuance of Tribunal's order dated 27th Jan 2021 and Supreme Court's Judgement in the case of 'Paryavaran Suraksha Sammiti'

The order being referred to here, was passed by NGT on 27th Jan this year, dealing with the issue exhaustively on the subject of rejuvenation of river Yamuna .

The NGT has also requested the Monitoring Committee headed by Allahabad High Court's former Justice SVS Rathore, and constituted by it for monitoring compliance of environmental norms in the State of UP, to look into the matter and give its independent report of the compliance status as on September 30, 2021.

The Tribunal has directed the Chief Secretary's review to cover the following aspects in particular:

• Status of interception and diversion of drains carrying sewage and sullage to the river Yamuna.

• Adequacy of treatment capacity,

• Demarcation and greening of flood plains and removal of encroachments therefrom

• Management of septage and maintenance of ghats.

Applicant's Submissions Considered By The Tribunal: The applicants, represented by Advocate Akash Vashishtha submitted that gigantic quantum of sewage has been generated from the illegal and unauthorised colonies and constructions on the riverbed and floodplains, with the active collusion of land mafia/realtors and the government agencies and their officers.

Further many more such illegal constructions and encroachments in the form of houses, ashrams, car parkings and shops etc. are continuing to take place unabated on the eco-fragile floodplains of Yamuna in Vrindavan, which are discharging their sewage directly into Yamuna.

The Bench noted that most of the sewer lines and storm drains in Vrindavan remain choked with silt and wastes of all kinds. Resultantly, waste water is constantly overflowing from the drains on to the roads, lanes and points near the temples and other places of significance.

According to the applicant, the State Pollution Control Board has failed to perform its duties to prevent, control and abate pollution in Vrindavan under Section 17 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.

Further specific directions of the Tribunal, through its 27th Jan order, to the Chief Secretary of the State of Uttar Pradesh, the Central Monitoring Committee headed by Secretary, Jalshakti and the River Rejuvenation Committees of UP, inter alia, to remedy the polluted stretches of Yamuna are not being complied with.

Acharya Damodar Shastri & Anr vs Union of India & Ors.

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