HC flays 42 municipalities for polluting Hooghly water

Kolkata, May 5 (UNI) Calcutta High Court today pulled up 42 municipalities for polluting the water of river Hooghly which it said could cause health hazards.

The two-judge bench, presided by Chief Justice V S Sarpurkar, held that 15 of the 42 municipalities were creating more pollution and their effluents were flowing into the river thus making the water unfit for consumption and use by human beings.

The court directed these municipalities to build 'Sulabh Souchalays' on the bank of the river in a bid to reduce the quantum of the pollution.

The state government would fund the project, the court said.

The court also formed a 14-member expert committee to sort out the problem and suggest measures which could decrease the pollution.

The court passed the order on a petition filed by environment activist Subhas Dutta.

After the judgement, Mr Dutta told reporters that it was an order in the right direction to make the water of the holy river clean.

UNI XC KK RN SY RS1917