Water in Hindon unfit for bathing: CPCB to NGT

New Delhi: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) today informed the National Green Tribunal that water quality of Hindon river in Uttar Pradesh does not meet the prescribed standards and is unfit for bathing.

The submission was made in an affidavit filed by CPCB before a bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar.

"CPCB in association with state pollution control Boards is monitoring water quality of rivers of India on monthly basis and disseminating the water quality data in the form of published reports. The water quality of river Hindon is monitored at three locations(Saharanpur,Meerut and Ghaziabad).

"The analytical results of river Hindon reveals that water quality of Hindon does not meet the prescribed standard of primary water quality criteria for bathing water under Environment(Protection) rules, 1986...," the CPCB affidavit said.

CPCB has, further, recommended that untreated waste shall not be discharged into river and sewage collection shall be done through a proper system so that the entire waste is collected and treated.

It has also suggested that dumping of municipal solid waste along the river embankment shall be stopped immediately and the waste generated in city shall be managed in accordance with the municipal solid waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000.

Earlier, the Tribunal had sought a response from the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government on a plea seeking directions to prevent pollution and contamination of water in rivers of Western UP.

The bench had also asked UP government to look into the issue and file a status report on the issue of contamination of water.

The Tribunal was hearing a plea by NGO Jai Hind which has alleged that people of villages (Gangnolli, Daha, Sankrod, Brouda and Sarthi etc) are suffering from cancer due to discharge of highly toxic and harmful effluents in Kali, Krishna and Hindon rivers of Western Uttar Pradesh.

The plea, filed through advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal, had claimed that in the last two years around 100 persons have died due to consumption of contaminated water in Gangnoli village.

The NGO had also sought "setting up of a monitoring committee of permanent nature to ensure that contaminated or polluted water should not be disposed in the said area".