SC seeks NGT panel report on Yamuna pollution

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 19

The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday asked for a report from a National Green Tribunal (NGT) committee on improving the water quality of the Yamuna and the action taken on its recommendations.

A Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, which had taken cognisance of pollution in the Yamuna on January 13, asked for the report after amicus curiae and senior advocate Meenakshi Arora said the NGT-appointed panel had been monitoring the cleaning of the river.

The NGT had in July 2018 set up a monitoring committee, comprising its former expert member BS Sajwan and former Delhi Chief Secretary Shailaja Chandra, on the Yamuna cleaning. The panel was asked to prepare an action plan.

The top court had on January 13 taken suo motu cognisance of the matter after the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) alleged that water containing high pollutants was being released into the river from Haryana. It had also issued notice to the Haryana Government.

“We are issuing a notice without argument. We are taking suo motu cognisance of pollution in the Yamuna,” it had said, as the DJB pointed out that the water released by Haryana into the river had pollutants, including high ammonia content that becomes carcinogenic after mixing with chlorine.

The DJB usually halts water supply in Delhi after the ammonia content in water rises. It has moved the court, seeking a direction to Haryana to ensure that pollutant-free water was released into the river.

Maintaining that pollution-free water was a fundamental right, which a welfare state is bound to ensure, the Bench had asked the Central Pollution Control Board to submit a report identifying municipalities along the Yamuna that had not installed sewage treatment plants.