The National Green Tribunal on Saturday has raised concerns about the deteriorating water quality of the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, attributing it to the discharge of untreated sewage and sullage into the river.
The tribunal had earlier sought compliance reports from various states, including Uttar Pradesh, to address pollution in the Ganga.
In an order dated November 6, NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, along with judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel, reviewed a report from Uttar Pradesh. The report revealed a significant gap in sewage treatment in Prayagraj district, with a shortfall of 128 million litres per day.
Additionally, 25 untreated drains were discharging sewage directly into the Ganga, while 15 drains were polluting the Yamuna.
The tribunal also noted that out of the 326 drains listed in the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) report, 247 were untapped and released a total of 3,513.16 MLD of wastewater into the Ganga and its tributaries.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the findings, the NGT directed the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary to file an affidavit detailing information on each drain, the sewage generated, the sewage treatment plants (STPs) planned for connection, and the timeline for making the STPs operational.
The affidavit must also outline short-term measures to prevent the discharge of untreated sewage into the river until the STPs are fully functional and household connections are 100% established.
The tribunal further examined a CPCB report on 41 STPs across 16 Ganga-front towns. It found that six plants were non-operational, and of the 35 functioning plants, only one met regulatory standards.
Additionally, the water quality monitoring at 41 locations revealed troubling levels of faecal coliform (FC), a key indicator of contamination from human and animal excreta. The CPCB’s desirable level of faecal coliform is 500 MPN (most probable number) per 100 ml, but the water quality at 16 locations exceeded this limit, with readings surpassing 2,500 MPN/100 ml at 17 locations.
This confirms the tribunal’s concerns that the discharge of untreated sewage is significantly worsening the water quality in the Ganga.
The NGT has directed the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary to provide details on measures to make the STPs operational and ensure compliance with environmental standards. The affidavit is due within four weeks, and the matter has been scheduled for further proceedings on January 20.
