NGT Flags Alarming Water Quality Decline In Ganga Due To Untreated Sewage In Uttar Pradesh

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has raised serious concerns over deteriorating water quality in the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, attributing the decline primarily to untreated sewage discharge into the river.

In an order dated 6 November, a bench led by NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava highlighted a 128 million liters per day (MLD) gap in sewage treatment in Prayagraj district alone. 

The bench, which also included Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel, noted that 25 drains in Prayagraj discharged untreated sewage into the Ganga, and 15 untapped drains flowed into the Yamuna.

"We find that out of the 326 drains disclosed in the report of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) dated 22 October, 247 drains are untapped (in the state) and discharging 3,513.16 MLD of waste water into the river Ganga and its tributaries," the tribunal said.

Expressing dissatisfaction, it directed the state's chief secretary to file an affidavit disclosing the information regarding each drain across different districts, the sewage generated from those, the sewage treatment plants (STP) to which those were proposed to be connected and the timeline for making the STPs functional.

"The affidavit will also disclose the short-term measures that will be adopted to prevent the discharge of untreated sewage in the river in respect of each of the districts and drain till STPs are made fully functional and 100 per cent household connectivity is achieved," the bench said.

"We also find that the water quality monitored at 41 locations clearly discloses that faecal coliform (FC) exceeds the most probable number (MPN) of 500/100 ml at 16 locations and is more than 2,500 MPN/100 ml at 17 locations,” the tribunal added.

According to the CPCB, the desirable level of faecal coliform, which is the microbes from the excreta of humans and animals, is MPN of 500/100 ml.

The tribunal also directed the chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh to disclose the steps taken or proposed for making the STPs functional and to ensure that all the plants comply with the specified norms. The affidavit has to be filed within four weeks, it said.

The matter has been posted on 20 January for further proceedings.

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