Ill-planning, unscientific approach cause for chaos in Ganga

The bench said the tannery industries continue to remain one of the main causes of pollutants in the river Ganga in this stretch.

New Delhi, Oct 23 Ill-planning and unscientific approach by the authorities concerned has to led to the chaotic condition of the Ganga, the National Green Tribunal has said.

The green panel expressed concern over the fact that there was lack of information on Ganga and it was not clear whether there were other industries and what manufacturing or other activities they were carrying on and the kind of trade effluent they discharged.

"The basic question that the Tribunal would have to answer amongst others is whether the approach of cleaning of city or cleaning of river at the first instance, is the approach to be adopted. Ill-planning, unscientific approach and lack of future estimation has led to chaos in which Ganga today is," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson justice Swatanter Kumar said.

It directed Uttar Pradesh Control Board to inform it whether the industries located on segment B of Phase-I were registered with Directorate of Industries or not and whether they have been granted consent to operate.

The green panel has divided the work of cleaning the river in different segments -- Gomukh to Haridwar (Phase-I), Haridwar to Unnao (termed as segment B of Phase-I), Unnao to border of Uttar Pradesh, border of Uttar Pradesh to border of Jharkhand and border of Jharkhand to Bay of Bengal.

The bench said the tannery industries continue to remain one of the main causes of pollutants in the river Ganga in this stretch.

The matter would be heard next on October 24. The tribunal had earlier rapped Uttar Pradesh government for wasting crores of rupees of public money on Ganga rejuvenation and restrained it from spending on any major project except maintenance work on the stretch from Haridwar to Kanpur.

The green panel had passed the order after Central Pollution Control Board and state authorities including UP Jal Nigam failed to state the total number of industrial units and the quantum of industrial waste discharged by them into Ganga.

On December 11 last year, the tribunal had imposed a complete ban on use of plastic of any kind from Gomukh to Haridwar along the river from February 1 and decided to slap a penalty of Rs 5,000 per day on erring hotels, dharamsalas and ashrams spewing waste into the river.

PTI