The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand Government to identify seriously polluting industries located on the banks of Ganga and apprise it on quantity and quality of discharge generated by them in the river.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed both the State Governments to furnish details on the number of teams required for inspecting such seriously polluting industries from Haridwar to Kanpur.
The department of Urban Development of Uttarakhand in turn shall inform the green bench on the entire programme on discharge of any sewage or effluent into the river Ganga, stating the quantity and quality of discharge.
The bench also ordered the pollution Control Boards of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh to submit analysis report before the Tribunal. Further, the green panel also directed a joint inspection by a team consisting of officials from Central Pollution Control Board, pollution boards of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand besides a representative from Environment Ministry at points where tributaries of river Ganga from Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh meet the Ganga.
They will provide details on the quality of water, quantum of effluent and sewage that is containing in each of these tributaries or river, said the bench.
It directed Uttarakhand Government to take a clear stand on industrial pockets located at Haridwar within two weeks.
Earlier, the Tribunal had directed the Ministry of Water Resources and Ganga Rejuvenation, through National Ganga River Basin Authority not to release funds for cleaning the river from Gomukh to Kanpur without its approval. The bench came down heavily against the lackadaisical approach of officials of the two states for failing to enumerate the causes for pollution and the locations affected along the aforementioned course.