New Delhi, April 23: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the governments of Uttarakhand and Jharkhand, demanding explanations for non-functional sewage treatment plants (STPs) and the continued discharge of untreated wastewater into the Ganga River.
The Tribunal is hearing a petition filed by environmental activist M.C. Mehta in a case concerning efforts to prevent and control pollution in the river, which is both ecologically significant and sacred to millions of Indians. During the latest hearing, the NGT also directed the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to file an affidavit detailing the current status of funding for the establishment of sewer infrastructure in Jharkhand.
In a compliance affidavit, the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (UKPCB) acknowledged that most STPs in the state were not operating in accordance with environmental norms and were frequently found to be non-functional. On April 9, the UKPCB issued a notice under Section 33A of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 to the Managing Director of Uttarakhand Pey Jal Nigam and the General Manager of Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan. The board warned that if no satisfactory response is received within one month, legal proceedings could be initiated under Section 49(A) of the Act.
“Most of the STPs are not complying with the norms and were frequently found non-operational,” the UKPCB stated in its submission to the Tribunal.
Meanwhile, the Tribunal also scrutinized the state of sewage management in Jharkhand after reviewing status reports filed by District Magistrates from Ramgarh, Bokaro, Sahebgunj, and Dhanbad. In Ramgarh, it was revealed that no sewage line or STP exists, despite the generation of approximately 17,880 kilolitres per day of sewage. Similar deficiencies were noted in the Cantonment Board jurisdiction of Ramgarh, as well as in the other three districts.
“The entire untreated sewage directly or indirectly is flowing to the River Ganga… Almost same is the status in respect of districts Bokaro, Sahebgunj and Dhanbad,” the NGT noted in its order dated April 16.
Expressing concern over the states’ failure to comply with a 2017 Supreme Court directive, which mandated the construction of STPs within three years, the Tribunal ordered the Secretary of Environment for Jharkhand to file an affidavit explaining the delays. The official must also provide a timeline for the installation of STPs and sewer lines in each district and detail interim arrangements for managing sewage until permanent infrastructure is in place.
“We therefore require the Secretary of Environment, State of Jharkhand, to file an affidavit explaining the reasons for the noncompliance with the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and also the timeline for compliance,” the Tribunal said.
The NMCG has also been asked to disclose the financial status of sanctioned and disbursed funds for sewer projects and treatment plants in the affected areas of Jharkhand.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Jal Shakti had told Parliament that faecal coliform levels in the Ganga met bathing water quality criteria in most stretches of Uttarakhand and Jharkhand. However, the NGT has now raised questions about the reliability and consistency of such assessments, particularly in light of ongoing reports of untreated sewage flowing into the river.
The Tribunal is expected to assess the affidavits and action plans submitted by the concerned authorities in the next hearing.
