NGT speeds up Yamuna cleaning, bans open defecation

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday ordered authorities to slap an environment compensation of Rs 5,000 for dumping waste and open defecation on the Yamuna flood plains. The tribunal also formed a three-member expert committee, headed by chief executive officer, Delhi Jal Board (DJB), to oversee and expedite the execution of the cleaning of Yamuna.

A three-member bench of the green court, headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar, was hearing the matter on execution of projects under 'Maily Se Nirmal Yamuna' Revitalisation Project, 2017.

"We hereby issue prohibition in furtherance to the judgment dated January 13, 2015, that no waste of any kind and open defecation will be permitted in around in any water body and on the floodplain of river Yamuna," the bench said in its order. On the expert committee, the bench added, "They shall submit a report at regular intervals to the tribunal and if they find any deficiency or non-compliance, the matter should be reported to the tribunal, for issuance of appropriate directions."

The expert committee will also comprise of Chief Engineer, Delhi Development Authority and a representative of the National Mission for Clean Ganga.

The tribunal gave a host of directions during Friday's hearing, pertaining to desilting of drains, execution of works and closing down of polluting industrial units located in residential areas. It asked the DJB to submit before the NGT's principal committee, complete project under phase-2 of the river cleaning, that deals with drains, that would cover the 30-35 per cent pollution load coming into the river.

The DJB has been asked to identify sites, on the basis of end of pipeline treatment, for setting up sewage treatment plants. The bench noted that Yamuna receives 74 per cent of its total pollution load in Delhi alone, of which, the Najafgarh and Delhi Gate drain are two of the biggest sources of pollution.