Questions Rs 31 cr spent on river cleaning without due knowledge of pollution load
In a significant order on Tuesday, the principal bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to carry out a thorough probe into dubious execution of Ganga cleaning projects by the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam in Garhmukteshwar. The directions came after a five-member bench of the NGT, chaired by justice Swatanter Kumar, questioned senior officials of the UP Jal Nigam.
Last month, the Supreme Court had transferred the Public Interest litigation on Ganga cleaning admitted in 1985, to the NGT. In regular hearings, the NGT has been looking into the issue of the actual pollution load and drains that carry it into the national river.
During the questioning of Chief Engineer AK Gupta and General Manager Keshav Gupta of UP Jal Nigam, the bench found out that Rs 31.82 crore was spent on two sewage treatment plants (STP) and a 58-km long sewerage line project without due analysis and verification of the actual pollution load in Garh drain and Brijghat drain.
"We are of the considered view that public fund is being wasted by officers who are not performing their basic functions of analysis and groundwork to find out the quality and quantum of waste, before preparation of detailed project reports. They (projects) are being executed without rational basis," said Swatanter Kumar. For probing the suspected irregularities in project execution, the Tribunal has ordered the CBI director to depute a senior officer.
During the hearing on Tuesday, it came to light that one STP, with a capacity of six million liters per day (MLD), was under construction in Garhmukteshwar while another, with a capacity of 3 MLD, was ready in Brijghat but not operational. The pollution load from Garh drain, though, is 13 MLD. This anomaly piqued the bench. Upon questioning the officials, they informed that they had not carried out on ground verification of the pollution load before executing the projects. "Why did you not physically verify? All of you sit down on chairs, waste public money and Ganga is what it is because of people like you," said Kumar.
Superintending Engineer of the UP Jal Nigam Sarvesh Kumar finalised a report bearing the undervalued pollution load even as he was not present during actual inspection. The bench has now summoned the executive officer of the Garhmukteshwar Nagar Palika too and listed the matter for Wednesday.
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