Troubled Waters: National Green Tribunal Calls Out NMCG Over Ganga Pollution

The National Green Tribunal criticized the National Mission for Clean Ganga for insufficient action on high pollution levels in the River Ganga in Bihar. With untreated sewage contributing heavily to water contamination, the Tribunal directed effective measures and the filing of a fresh affidavit for mitigation.

The National Green Tribunal has raised serious concerns about the alarming pollution levels in the River Ganga in Bihar. Noting that the river's water no longer meets even the basic criteria for bathing, the tribunal criticized the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) for its inadequate response. The NMCG, tasked with cleaning the river, was admonished for writing letters and holding meetings instead of taking substantial action.

In August, the tribunal expressed its dissatisfaction over the lack of strict enforcement by the NMCG after finding that the faecal coliform levels in the water were dangerously high. An order dated November 25, issued by a bench led by NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, emphasized the gap between the state's sewage generation and treatment capacity, stressing that 750 million liters of untreated sewage are flowing directly into the river.

Stressing the severity of the situation, the tribunal instructed the NMCG to remediate the pollution immediately. It further directed the executive director to comply with previous directives and submit a new affidavit outlining actionable steps. The tribunal has also involved the principal secretary of the state's environment department as a respondent, requesting a response by March 18.

(With inputs from agencies.)