The Uttar Pradesh government has been instructed by the National Green Tribunal to provide a report detailing the measures taken to demarcate floodplain zones of the Varuna and Assi rivers, which are tributaries of the Ganga in Varanasi district.
A petition was heard by the green panel alleging that the local authority in Varanasi had failed to mark out the floodplain zones of the rivers, leading to ongoing encroachment. The petition also raised concerns about the illegal discharge of sewage into the rivers.
A report by the Varanasi Municipal Corporation revealed that 15 drains were releasing partially treated sewage into the Varuna, negatively affecting its water quality, as noted by the bench of the National Green Tribunal.
The bench, which includes Judicial Member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Expert Members A Senthil Vel and Afroz Ahmad, highlighted a report by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board indicating that some drains were not being properly managed.
In a recent ruling, the bench also noted that around 28 million liters per day (MLD) of untreated sewage was being discharged into the Assi river, according to the board’s findings.
The tribunal criticized the delayed submission of an action-taken report by the joint secretary of urban development, which failed to address the demarcation of floodplain zones for the Varuna and Assi rivers in Varanasi district.
The state of Uttar Pradesh has been instructed to submit a new report within four weeks outlining the steps taken to address the issue of demarcation, as the tribunal found the current report to be inadequate.
The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board was also directed to provide a new report detailing the actions taken against the responsible authorities in response to the ongoing environmental concerns.
The case has been scheduled for further proceedings on April 26.
(Published 02 March 2024, 07:05 IST)
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