Give specific timelines for cleaning of Yamuna: NGT

The National Green Tribunal has directed stakeholders to give specific schedule for cleaning the Yamuna, while noting that repeated timelines have not been adhered to in the last 30 years and pollution of the river was still continuing.

A bench headed by NGT chairperson justice Adarsh Kumar Goel made it clear that the tribunal will finalise fresh timelines with clear adverse consequences of violating such revised schedules.

"Such pollution needs to be controlled at the earliest for protection of environment and public health and having regard to unique significance of the Yamuna river, which is a major tributary of the Ganga river," the bench said.

The tribunal directed all authorities to submit timelines for the actions to be undertaken in terms of orders of the NGT and directed Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, appearing for the Delhi government, to compile such information and suggest extended timeline wherever it has expired. 

The green panel had earlier said that failure of authorities is affecting life and health of citizens, and threatening the existence of a major river like Yamuna.

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The tribunal had earlier also expressed dissatisfaction over the cleaning of the Yamuna river and directed Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments to submit a performance guarantee of Rs 10 crore each within a month.

The green panel had said pollution in the Yamuna was of serious concern as it was highly contaminated with industrial effluent and sewage.

It had also asked the Haryana Pollution Control Board to conduct a study of water quality and the flow of Yamuna at the point it enters Haryana, and submit the list of industries located in the catchment area.

The green panel had noted that almost 67 per cent of the pollutants that enter the Yamuna would be treated by two sewage treatment plants at Delhi Gate and Najafgarh under the first phase of the Yamuna Revitalisation Project. 

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