Srinagar: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted a five-member committee to look into the water quality in Doodh Ganga river and Mamath Kull in Kashmir and said there is continued violation of the Water Act in these water bodies to the prejudice of the environment and public health which remains unchecked.
Hearing an application filed by RTI activist Raja Muzaffar Bhat against the failure to prevent discharge of sewage and dumping of solid waste into Doodh Ganga and Mamath Kull in violation of the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and judgments of the Supreme Court, the NGT directed the authorities to verify the facts and take remedial action in accordance with the law.
“Prima facie it appears that there is continued violation of Water Act to the prejudice of the environment and public health which remains unchecked. Thus, intervention of the Tribunal may be called for,” it said in an order issued on Monday.
The NGT directed the authorities to verify the facts and take remedial action in accordance with the law and also constituted a five-member committee to look into the water quality and submit a factual report within two months.
We also constitute a five-member Joint Committee of CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board), J&K PCC (Pollution Control Committee), Deputy Commissioners, Srinagar and Budgam and the Director, Urban Local Bodies, J-K, the order said.
The tribunal said the J-K Pollution Control Board will be the nodal agency for compliance and coordination.
The joint committee may meet within two weeks and undertake visits to the sites in question. The committee may look into the water quality in terms of fecal coliform, quantity of sewage being discharged, solid waste being dumped on the banks and the action plan prepared by the River Rejuvenation Committee (RRC) for J-K constituted as per orders of the tribunal in OA 673/18, the NGT said.
Further action be planned and executed accordingly, it added.
The NGT asked the committee to give a factual report within two months by e-mail.
The matter has been listed for further consideration on March 8 next year.
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