NGT
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Expansion
National Green Tribunal (NGT) has warned Bihar government regarding pollution in Ganga. It has been said that if Bihar fails to provide the sought information on Ganga water pollution within six weeks, then it (NGT) will order the Chief Secretary of Bihar to appear in person. The NGT was hearing a case related to prevention and control of pollution in Ganga in Bihar. The Green Tribunal had last year raised the issue of pollution of Ganga and its tributaries in five states. The Ganga flows through Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal before joining the Bay of Bengal.
A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Srivastava, taking note of Bihar’s report dated February 17 this year, said that 20 out of 38 districts in the state had submitted their reports with incomplete and partially incorrect information. The bench comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel took note of the arguments of the state counsel. He had said that the necessary information would be submitted by the District Magistrates (who head the District Ganga Conservation Committees) in six weeks.
In an order passed on February 19, the tribunal said that we make it clear that if the complete requisite information is not furnished before the Tribunal, we may need to direct the Chief Secretary to appear in person. The matter has been posted to May 1 for consideration of the state’s report.
