Despite Good Intention Of State & Central Govts To Keep It Clean, River Ganga Is Still Polluted: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has recently observed that despite the good intention of the State government as well as Central Government to keep Ganga clean, and diversion of huge amount for this purpose, the polluted water still exists. 

The Bench Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice Anil Kumar Ojha was hearing a plea seeking to highlight the problem of sewerage and trade effluent flowing into the Ganga river.

The plea filed by Mahant Madhu Mangal Sharan Daas Shukla submitted that as the State Government had permitted the working/laying down of A pipe line, the untreated sewerage or trade effluent was following into the river.

After hearing the writ petition at length, the case was adjourned to seek an affidavit of the highest officer of department/ body concerned managing the affairs of treatment of the sewerage and trade effluent through STP or ETP.

The Court also directed for the filing of the affidavit to the effect that sewerage and trade effluent would not be drained without treatment.

The Court even remarked that if after filing of affidavit and work of pipeline for draining the sewerage or trade effluent, the untreated water is found in the river, the deponent would be made responsible which includes their prosecution by the process under Section 430 Cr.P.C.

Therefore, the Court cautioned that the officer should not give an affidavit for the sake of it but with responsibility.

"The effort of the Court is that while permitting the work of pipeline, the untreated sewerage or trade effluent should not be drained in the river. It is for the reason that even after putting STPs and ETPs, the untreated water is also drained. It is for the reason that the capacity of ETPs/STPs remain less than the water drained or the STPs/ETPs are not maintained so as to treat the entire volume of water coming in it. At many times, we have seen foul practices played by the officer in connivance with the other resulting in the drain of water without treatment. As a result of it the polluted water is also drained in the river having serious consequences," the Court further remarked.

Lastly, the Court also asked the Advocate General to clarify as to why the rivers are taken as easy targets for the drain of sewerage and trade effluent and that as to why despite establishing STPs/ETPs, untreated water was drained polluting the rivers. 

Case title - Mahant Madhu Mangal Sharan Daas Shukla v. Union Of India And 11 Ors

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