The National Green Tribunal today directed the Central Pollution Control Board to inspect the hand pumps releasing contaminated ground water in eight districts of Uttar Pradesh.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the apex pollution monitoring body to test the samples of the ground water in these areas through which river East Kali, a tributary of Ganga, flows.
The CPCB has been asked by the green panel to test the water samples in Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahar, Aligarh, Kaasganj, Farukkhabad and Kannauj and directed it to seal the hand pumps if they find the water to be polluted.
The order came on a plea filed by Meerut resident Raman Kant seeking directions for preparation of a comprehensive action plan for cleaning the East Kali river and sealing of the hand pumps whose water is not fit for consumption.
East Kali originates from Antwada village in Muzaffarnagar district and flows through eight districts of Uttar Pradesh before its confluence with river Ganga near Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh, the plea said.
The petition, filed through advocate Rahul Khurana, has made Ministry of Environment and Forests, Ministry of Water Resources, Uttar Pradesh government, Central Pollution Control Board as parties in the case.
According to the plea, sugar processing units and their associated alcohol manufacture distilleries, paper mills, dairies and tanneries which are located adjacent to the river were extracting large volumes of water and contaminating the river by discharging their effluents into it.
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