NGT to Raj govt: Close 500 Sambhar borewells, stop sewage discharge
JAIPUR: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered the Rajasthan government on Tuesday to close 500 illegal borewells in Sambhar and prevent discharge of sewage into the lake, which is India’s biggest inland salt water wetland, calling it a criminal offence.
“For the illegal discharge of sewage and industrial pollution, prosecution must be initiated and compensation recovered on ‘Polluter Pays’ principle. This is the responsibility of the State PCB,” said the NGT in its order uploaded on its website on Friday.
The NGT gave these orders while hearing original application filed on the basis of a news item published in Hindustan Times, tiled Sambhar’s ecology among worst: Report’, on November 20, 2019, and petitions filed by Jaipur-based Wild Creatures Organisation and Delhibased the Ecology, Rural Development and Sustainability Foundation (ERDS Foundation), both non-profits.
NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, judicial member Justice Sheo Kumar Singh and expert member Nagin Nanda, said in the order: “We find that even though the problem surfaced five months ago, there is any hardly any tangible action so far.
During interaction, it was submitted that demarcation of the area into Core Zone and Buffer Zone is necessary. If it is so, there is no reason why it has not been done in the last five months. At least a tentative and interim delineation could have been done.”
More than 20,000 birds died at Sambhar in November last year due to animal botulism, a neuromuscular illness.
The NGT is hearing the case for remedial action to deal with the deterioration of ecology at and around Sambhar Lake manifested by birds mortality.
The tribunal said the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board must ensure that local bodies stop discharge of sewage and sought report on sealing of bore wells from collectors of Nagaur, Jaipur and Ajmer before next date of hearing on April 24.
It has also sought a comprehensive Environment Management Plan for preventing and remedying the damage to the environment.
“The concerned industries may be advised to adopt cleaner production approaches and encourage minimizing waste and waste exchange efforts,” NGT said in its order, seeking action taken report jointly by the Rajasthan State PCB, Jaipur Collector, State Wetland Authority and the National Wetland Authority, according to the order.