Effluent discharge in Ganga: NGT warns pollution control boards

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) today warned the Central and Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Boards that it would pass "coercive orders" if effective steps were not taken to control pollution due to effluent discharged by sugar mills and a dairy firm in the river Ganga.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), Simbhaoli Sugar Mills,Gopalji Milk Food and Pvt Ltd and National Ganga River Basin Authority to hold a meeting within a week to work out the modalities to check, prevent and control pollution. "We direct all the respondents and their senior officers to hold a meeting within one week to work out the modalities for checking, preventing and controlling pollution and to put forward a time bound action plan to execute the same," the bench said. The bench further observed that "Simbhaoli Sugar mills and Distillery Simbhaoli Spirits Ltd are serious polluters and if effective steps are not taken to curb the pollution we will be compelled to pass certain coercive orders in accordance with law." The tribunal also directed UPPCB to serve notices to all the industries whose names have already been pointed out by CPCB in their report submitted on February 7 and also to those industries which discharge their effluents in Ganges or its tributaries for being present on the next date of hearing, May 6. The bench was hearing a petition filed by UP resident Krishan Kant Singh who contended that the stretch of Ganga from Garmukteshwar to Narora was being polluted due to discharge of highly toxic and harmful effluents by the sugar mill as well as the dairy firm.