NGT seeks UP govt's figure of industries on Ganga banks

The National Green Tribunal today asked the Uttar Pradesh government to inform it about number of industries operating on the banks of Ganga from Haridwar to Unnao and total sewage generated from these units.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Swatanter Kumar asked the advocate general of UP to apprise it of the exact figure of industries as different government agencies were giving varying numbers having huge difference.
The top law officer of the state assured the bench that he would sort out the issue and would bring before it the figure of industries as well as total sewage generated from these units.

The absence of the director of industries of UP, who was asked to appear today and give details, in the hearing irked the bench which remarked, "We are highly displeased the way your officers are behaving. They are highly irresponsible. When we had specifically asked him to be present in the court today, why has he not come?"
It also sought to know as to which officer could give it the figure of working industries in UP and their nature.
During the hearing, the executive director of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) told the bench that there were 400 industrial units in Kanpur's Jajmau, an industrial suburb, and said the figure has been verified by a joint committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forest, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB).

He said the industrial units have to follow zero liquid discharge and end-pipe solution and in the last six years, this technology has been evolved.

The bench, which is hearing the Ganga cleaning case on a
day-to-day basis for expeditious disposal, had yesterday issued bailable warrant against Kanpur municipal commissioner for non-appearance on the matter regarding the cleaning of the river, noting that despite directions he had not appeared.
It had also warned that if the departments which are collectively responsible for cleaning of the river do not stop giving illusionary answers, it may pass some strict order.
It had earlier slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 each on officers of the Ministry of Water Resources and UP Jal Nigam for filing incorrect information on 30 drains joining the river Ganga in Garhmukteshwar area of Uttar Pradesh.

Earlier, the tribunal was told by an experts' panel that the functional sewage treatment plants in the Garhmukteshwar area of Uttar Pradesh do not operate as the domestic sewage network is not connected to the main sewerage system.
A three-member committee set up by the NGT had said that the Garhmukteshwar stretch of the Ganga should receive special attention as it was the habitat of the critically-endangered Gangetic Dolphin, an indicator species for the river's ecosystem.
In February, the bench had ordered a CBI probe into the execution of the Ganga cleaning project after it noted that Rs 31.82 crore was spent on two sewage treatment plants (STPs) and a 58-km long sewerage line project without due analysis and verification of the actual pollution load in the Garh drain and Brijghat drain.

NGT had slammed the state's Jal Nigam for building the STPs on the drains joining Ganga without any survey and said it had wasted Rs 1500 crore since 1987 and still not cleaned "even a single drop" of the river.