The National Green Tribunal (NGT) — concerned over the miserable condition of Hindon River — has asked the UP Government to hold a meeting of all concerned departments to ensure that no further degradation happens in the pollution levels of the river and report the matter to the tribunal before November 5, 2015.
The Green court was hearing the petition filed by the Society for Protection of Environment and Biodiversity of India through lawyer Rahul Chaudhary in which they prayed to protect the river from the hazardous pollution.
The Green court added that the photographs placed before the Tribunal clearly shows very high pollution in river Hindon because of industrial discharge, indiscriminate dumping of municipal waste and even sewage. "Strangely, the chemical and other pollutant contents are of such high density that the foam from the river is moving to the road," it said.
It further commented that Public Authorities keep shifting the responsibility to others. "There is no plausible stand taken by any of the public Authority. There is a dire need for controlling pollution of the water body as they are tributaries of river Ganga," it added.
It further directed that a meeting be held by the Principal Secretary Environment, State of UP with the head of departments of Ghaziabad Development Authority, Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation, Pollution Control Board, NOIDA Authority and Urban Development, State of UP who shall personally visit the river Hindon, particularly the location exhibited in the photographs placed on record, take immediate steps for remedying and controlling the pollution.
It also asked them to suggest ways and means by which River Hindon is not polluted any longer.
Ordering that the meeting be held within two weeks, the Bench said that the committee should fix responsibility as to which authority and which officer failed to perform their statutory duties and permitted to cause the pollution to rise to this extent.
"The report shall be positively placed before the Tribunal by the next date of posting. In the event of default, all these officers would be personally present before the Tribunal," it said.