Joint panel to prepare action plan for Gomti

LUCKNOW: On the directions of National Green Tribunal (NGT), a joint committee of LMC, UP Jal Nigam, LDA and UP Pollution Control Board would be formed to prepare an action plan for keeping river Gomti clean.

In its order on January 17, NGT set up the Eastern UP River and Water Reservoirs Monitoring Committee (EUPRWRMC) under the chairmanship of Justice DP Singh as the oversight body to look into issues related to pollution of Gomti.

The committee, in its report, said a joint committee of UPPCB, LMC, Jal Nigam and LDA may look into the matter and prepare an action plan.

The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) will be the nodal agency to coordinate and comply with the order.

The first meeting of the committee would be held within a month and action plan be prepared within a month thereafter, indicating specific timelines for the steps to be taken for execution of the plan.

The action plan may be furnished to Justice DP Singh on or before March 31. It is pertinent to mention that Justice DP Singh is already looking into the issue of solid waste management and mitigation of pollution in Ami River and other issues.

The UP Solid Waste Management Monitoring Committee, set up by the NGT, had recently accused the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) of disposing of its solid waste in an unscientific and unplanned way.

Waste was being dumped in different parts of city posing health hazard for locals, said the report of the committee.

Justice Rajendra Singh, secretary of the monitoring committee, during his visit to Paper Mill sewage pumping station found that most of the sewage was flowing directly into the Gomti without being treated.

A JOINT COMMITTEE OF LMC, UP JAL NIGAM, LDA AND UPPCB WILL BE FORMED TO PREPARE ACTION PLAN FOR KEEPING GOMTI CLEAN