Green tribunal seeks report on Pali river by July 5
STRINGENT NGT unhappy with report submitted by Pali DC, asks Jodhpur’s divisional commissioner to make action plan
: The National Green Tribunal on Monday expressed displeasure over the report submitted by the Pali district collector Sudhir Kumar Sharma on pollution caused by textile industries in the Bandi river. The NGT has ordered the Jodhpur divisional commissioner to personally visit the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) in Pali City and submit a complete report to the tribunal by July 5.
While hearing a plea by Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore and Dr Satyawan Singh Garbyal directed the divisional commissioner to inform whether the deficiencies pointed out by the committee, have been rectified. The NGT also ordered him to prepare an action plan for rectifying deficiencies, after giving a time frame. On May 26 last year, NGT had constituted a monitoring committee consisting of four members. The committee had submitted its final report on April 15.
“In view of the grave situation of the water quality of the Bandi river and Nehda reservoir, groundwater quality and land pollution, and in the overall interest of the health of the people of Pali, no treated or untreated industrial effluent should be allowed to be discharged in river or on adjacent land in any form,” the committee had recommend.
“The CETP management should also prevent the river and land from any damage from the Reverse Osmosis System (RO) reject generated from CETP. The individual industries should periodically monitor the quality
JODHPUR THE GREEN PANEL ALSO REITERATED ITS EARLIER ORDER, DIRECTING NO DISCHARGE OF UNTREATED WATER INTO THE RIVER FROM THE COMMON EFFLUENT TREATMENT PLANTS
of effluent discharged from the primary treatment facilities for the smooth and efficient operation of CETPs, and should comply with the consent conditions,” the report said.
On not taking effective steps on the recommendation of the committee, the NGT had ordered the district collector Sudhir Kumar Sharma to appear in person. Pali collector Sharma appeared before the NGT on Monday, where he admitted that his report was lacking in giving specific conclusions. “It is rather strange that nothing is said in the conclusion of the report,” the bench said. Taking it seriously, the NGT has now ordered the divisional commissioner to monitor.
“The earlier order passed by the Tribunal in respect of the industry and CETP not to discharge any untreated water into the river or any open place and the treated water should be made use of by the unit itself and for that purpose, proper action plan be prepared, shall continue,” NGT said. The next hearing has been scheduled for July 5.
A study of surface and groundwater in Pali, conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment in 2008, had found almost 80 per cent of the sample water unfit for drinking.
The samples showed high alkaline and chemical oxygen demand (COD) levels, indicating dangerous levels of organic pollutants. The quantity of total dissolved solids was four times higher than the standard. The case was transferred to NGT from the Jodhpur High Court in 2012.