Kumbh Mela: NGT forms Committee to carry out inspection of drains joining Rivers Ganga, Yamuna in Prayagraj

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has formed a committee and is directed to inspect all the drains joining the Ganga and Yamuna rivers and all the Sewage Treatment Plants from which discharge is being made to the rivers in the Prayagraj district.
The direction came on February 7, 2023, during the hearing of the petition, which raised a grievance in respect of the discharge of sewage into Rivers Ganga and Yamuna in reference to the availability of clean water at the time of the Kumbh Mela, which is to be organized in 2024-2025.
According to the status report filed by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), estimated sewage generation is 500 mld against which sewage treatment plants are set up to treat 340 mld and this capacity is under expansion to have a facility for 533 mld.
As per Pryagraj Mela Pradhikaran, 37 drains carrying sewage are tapped and
diverted to 10 STPs and treated sewage as per compliance with notified standards by the Ministry of Environment and Foreign are discharged into River Ganga and Yamuna, noted the Tribunal.
Further, for 41 drains, interception and diversion to STPs are yet to be achieved and this indicates that at least 67.82 mld of treated sewage is flowing through the Rivers Ganga and Yamuna, as further noted by the Tribunal.
Noted the submissions from the status report of respondents authorities, the bench headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava said, "in order to ascertain the correct position, we need to have the report relating to total generation of sewage, existing installed STPs and their current level of utilization and functioning, and the performance of STPs from which treated water is discharged in River Ganga and Yamuna at Paryagraj.
Hence, we form a committee comprising Representative of Member Secretary (CPCB), RO MOEF&CC (Lucknow), District Magistrate (Paryagraj), RO UPPCB (Prayagraj), Chief Engineer, UP Jal Nigam, said the Tribunal.
"The committee is directed to inspect all the drains joining River Ganga and Yamuna and all the STPs from which discharge is being made to River Ganga and Yamuna in District Paryagraj," directed the bench.
The said committee will carry out spot inspections, collect samples of discharged treated water with sample analysis done and also collect information in respect of the functioning of the STPs and submit the report before the Tribunal.
The District Magistrate, Prayagraj, will act as the nodal agency. The committee will also ascertain the position with respect to the total per-day generation of sewage in Prayagraj, the treatment capacity of STPs, and the existing gap and action taken to eliminate that gap, added the bench.