UP drafting environment policy to check pollution

Lucknow, May 23 : Concerned over rising pollution levels the Uttar Pradesh government is formulating a new environment policy, as per the recommendations of the Supreme Court, which is expected to be enforced in the next three months.

''The level of air, noise and water pollution in the state was very high and the government was concerned about it,'' said state Environment minister Ujjawal Raman Singh here today.

Talking to UNI, Mr Singh said the new environment policy, for the first time in the state, will take care of all aspects of air, noise and water pollution, for regulating and minimising the pollution levels.

''In the next two months, the department would prepare a draft of the policy and bring it before the state cabinet for its approval,'' he said.

Commenting on the Supreme Court ruling directing a full ban on use of loud speakers during night to control the level of noise pollution, Mr Singh made it clear that the state government would enforce the directive strictly and without the prior permission of the district authorites no one would be allowed to use loud speakers between 2200 hrs to 0600 hrs.

Announcing that the government was also concerned about the air pollution levels in the state, particularly in big towns, Mr Singh said Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses would start plying in Agra and Lucknow shortly.

''Due to some problem of availability of gas and setting up of refilling stations in both the towns, the CNG project was delayed,'' he said, adding after these two cities, CNG projects would be implemented in Kanpur, Allahabad and Varanasi. Taking a serious note of the rising pollution in all major rivers, particularly in Ganga and Yamuna, Mr Singh said talks were under way with the Centre to attract financial assistance to initiate projects for minimising the pollution levels.

''One project with an estimated cost of Rs 400 crore is already under way at Varanasi to set up sewage treatment plant and to lay down sewage lines funded by a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA),'' he said. The first phase of work under the project was nearing completion at Varanasi, Mr Singh added.

Mr Singh, son of Samajwadi Party MP from Allahabad Reoti Raman Singh, said after Varanasi a similar project would be taken up in Allahabad, a city that lacks sewage lines in 70 per cent of its territory.

Talking about the government's commitment to seriously enforce the ban on the use or polythene in the state, he said the new enviroment policy would take care of the issue and provide for penal punishment to the offenders.

The state govenment had banned the use of polythene last year through a notification, following a resolution adopted by the state legislature, but no action has yet been taken against the offenders, for the notification lacked any legal back-up.

UNI