NGT miffed at availability of prohibited plastic in Delhi, seeks report from AAP govt

On Monday the Delhi government and the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) had come under fire for delaying compliance of orders on the Yamuna cleaning project of the NGT.

Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday expressed displeasure over rampant use and availability of prohibited plastic in the national capital.

The tribunal has sought report from the Delhi government and has directed it to take strict action, ANI reported.

Yesterday too, the Delhi government and the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) had come under fire for delaying compliance of orders on the Yamuna cleaning project of the NGT, which asked them to show cause why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them.

In a chamber meeting held at the NGT premises, a bench headed by Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar had rapped the authorities saying that except for shifting blame, the stakeholders, including the city government, had no reasons to offer in support of their "inaction and non-cooperation" for completing the project.

It had also asked them to explain why the amount earmarked by the Delhi government and the DJB for Yamuna rejuvenation should not be attached for violation of the NGT orders, as per PTI.

The Phase-I of the clean Yamuna project aims to lower the pollution levels in the Najafgarh and Delhi Gate drains, while Phase-II deals with Shahdara, Barapullah and other drains.

During the meeting which had gone on for over an hour, DJB CEO Keshav Chandra had told the tribunal that work on Phase-1 of the project was stopped as the AAP government had initiated enquiry against him for alleged financial irregularities over the setting up of sewage treatment plants.

The NGT had taken exception over this submission and asked why the DJB CEO did not approach the NGT, instead of stopping the work.

It had directed the DJB to file a detailed reply in ten days and posted the matter for further hearing on November 6.

The tribunal had earlier directed the Delhi government and DJB to submit a status report on the progress of the work in the first phase of cleaning the river Yamuna.

It had then directed Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to file a complete report of the stretch of the Yamuna falling beyond the national capital.

(With Agency inputs)