Supreme Court Stays NGT Order Against Uttarakhand Officials

The Supreme Court has paused a National Green Tribunal order directing punitive actions against Uttarakhand officials for not preventing untreated sewage discharge into the Ganga. A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Sanjay Kumar has issued a notice to the Centre and set a hearing for December.

The Supreme Court has stayed a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order that called for criminal prosecution and punitive measures against Uttarakhand government officials over their failure to prevent untreated sewage from entering the Ganga River.

Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Sanjay Kumar, comprising the bench, have issued a notice to the Centre and scheduled the hearing for the second week of December.

The NGT had criticized the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board in February for failing to act against the untreated sewage discharge into the Ganga, directing the board to initiate criminal proceedings and impose environmental compensation for both past and future violations.

(With inputs from agencies.)