Home / Environment / NGT Slams Varanasi Ganga Pollution: Rivers Turned into Drains!
NGT Slams Varanasi Ganga Pollution: Rivers Turned into Drains!
10 Feb
Summary
- NGT concerned over untreated sewage and waste dumped into Ganga.
- Illegal tapping of stormwater drains and Asi River questioned.
- Varanasi has 1.56 lakh households connected to sewers out of 4.14 lakh.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has voiced significant concerns regarding the unchecked discharge of untreated sewage and industrial waste into the Ganga and its tributaries in Varanasi. The tribunal is particularly troubled by the illegal tapping of stormwater drains and the Asi River, a vital tributary, noting it's being treated as a drain.
The NGT has mandated the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to clarify how such permissions were granted. A review of the UP government's action plan revealed that 31 out of 76 drains discharging into the Ganga and Varuna rivers in Varanasi and Chandauli districts remain untapped.
Furthermore, the tribunal observed that permanently tapping stormwater drains for pollution control is impermissible and harms river ecology. Temporary tapping is allowed only with a clear timeline for reopening once sewer connections are complete. Concerns were also raised about Sewage Treatment Plants possibly being located in the Ganga's floodplain.
As of the tribunal's hearing, only 1.56 lakh of the 4.14 lakh identified households in Varanasi had sewer connections. The state has been directed to provide a definitive timeline for achieving 100% sewer connectivity within six weeks. A detailed progress report addressing all these issues is due, with the next hearing scheduled for April 21.
