NGT criticises NMCG for inaction on pollution in River Ganga, seeks urgent action.
The NGT has sounded a high alert over the alarming pollution of the River Ganga in Bihar, as the water quality has failed to meet the bathing standards because of higher levels of faecal coliform.
The tribunal criticized NMCG for not taking proper measures to correct the situation and faulted the agency for holding meetings and sending letters in letters but not acting with alacrity and concrete action for redress of grievance.
In an order dated November 25, the NGT bench headed by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi, and expert member A Senthil Vel, while stating that the actions taken by NMCG as per its response filed on November 22 were not sufficient to fulfill the directions issued by the tribunal earlier, stated that the response filed by NMCG contained reports of some communications and meetings but did not provide an effective solution to the present pollution crisis in the state of Bihar.
NMCG’s Inadequate Response
The tribunal reported that the NMCG itself had admitted that the estimated quantity of sewage generation in Bihar is around 1,100 million liters per day, but STPs could treat only as much as 343 MLD. This leaves a glaring gap of more than 750 MLD, which actually is untreated sewage being directly thrown into the River Ganga.
The report by NMCG further presented that six out of the eight sewage treatment plants in the area were not up to the environmental standards. This presented an added concern for the tribunal as untreated sewage, coupled with non-functional STPs continued to pollute the river, even though attempts to clean the Ganga had gone on for decades.
The NGT criticized the NMCG’s approach on the matter, saying the body should have made sterner and more decisive steps instead of just sending letters and conducting meetings soliciting responses. The tribunal pointed out that the pollution in Bihar was grave enough, noting that the water quality of the river had deteriorated to an extent wherein it was no longer safe for bathers, which opposed the guidelines meant to preserve the water quality of the river.
Tribunal’s Guidelines to NMCG
The NGT clearly pointed out to NMCG that it cannot just talk about the matter and take decisive action regarding the issue of letting out raw sewage in the river. The tribunal required a fresh affidavit from NMCG through which clear compliance plan has been mooted along with the time-bound actions required for redressing the problem. The NGT directed NMCG to look at more than just discussions and communications; it needs to bring concrete actions that would refrain the further contamination of the river.
The tribunal agreed with the contention that seriousness is the case and has added the Principal Secretary of Bihar’s Environment Department as a respondent to the case with a mandamus on it to file response through affidavit on the next date of hearing put as March 18, 2025.
This decision by the tribunal comes straight in a line that indicates urgency to be reacted in very speed for saving this river Ganga, an ecological and cultural essential component of millions of Indians in not merely an aqueous source for the production of agricultural products, or for drink purpose or sanitary requirements but for very religious purposes too.
Ongoing Issues with River Ganga Clean-Up
The River Ganga has been experiencing a trend of increasing pollution in the past decades as it passes through many states. Untreated sewage, industrial waste, and religious offerings have made contributions to this pollution. So, water quality of the river Ganga deteriorated with these elements. For several years, many initiatives were undertaken in the GAP and recently under the Namami Gange Programme. Despite all these, this river still suffers from considerable environmental problems.
The NMCG was the coordinating agency for the Namami Gange Programme; its programme work included improvement in water quality through setting up of STPs, riverfront development, and waste management systems. But as the process has been moving at a sluggish pace, and the treatment plants have not been compliant enough, the progress has not been made accordingly.
The NGT has time and again called upon NMCG to take measures that are more swift and effective to address the emerging concerns. The tribunal has also placed focus on improving coordination between the central agencies and state agencies and involving the local community in cleaning and conserving the river.
The Road Ahead: Coming as this order is at a crucial moment for the River Ganga, which the government claims it has promised to purify and reduce pollution in the river, treatment plants continue to fail to attain environmental standards, and a large excess of untreated sewage release is a pointer to large gaps in the implementation of the Namami Gange Programme. The call for better enforcement and action from the NMCG by the tribunal underscores the urgency of solving the environmental crisis in Bihar and other Ganga basin states. While the government goes ahead with its plans to rejuvenate the river, it should ensure that all stakeholders- from state agencies to NMCG and local communities-work in unison to deliver meaningful results. Coming months would see NGT continue to keep an eye on such issues and the response of NMCG would decide if this current approach to keep a check on further aggravation in the trend of pollution is going to get success with improvement coming back in water quality of Ganga.