With the Hindon river becoming a victim of indiscriminate waste disposal by residents, industries and civic agencies, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday said that “there is a dire need for controlling pollution of the water body (Hindon and its tributaries) as they are tributaries of river Ganga”.
Anguished at the photographs showing pollution before the Hindon joins the Yamuna, which were placed before the tribunal by an NGO, a Bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar directed the Principal Secretary (Environment), UP, to personally visit the Hindon, particularly the sites shown in the photographs.
It has also sought that onus be fixed on agencies and officers who allowed the deterioration of Hindon.
“The photographs placed before the tribunal clearly show very high pollution of river Hindon because of industrial discharge, indiscriminate dumping of municipal waste and even sewage. Strangely the chemical and other pollutant contents are of such high density that the foam from the river is moving to the road,” the Bench said.
“All that we hear is that public authorities shift responsibility to others and at the best that notice has been issued. There is no plausible stand taken by any of the public authority,” it said.
“Let a meeting be held by the Principal Secretary Environment (UP) with the heads of departments of Ghaziabad Development Authority, Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation, Pollution Control Board, NOIDA Authority and Urban Development, who shall personally visit the river Hindon, particularly the location exhibited in the photographs placed on record; take immediate steps for remedying and controlling the pollution, and to suggest ways and means so that river Hindon at Ghaziabad is not polluted any longer,” a disquieted bench ordered.
The tribunal was hearing a petition filed by the Society for Protection of Environment and Biodiversity and environmental activist Manoj Misra.
It must be noted that many petitions relating to dumping of waste in the Hindon have been placed before the NGT, indicating the sad state of this Yamuna’s tributary.
“There are as many as 172 industries situated in Ghaziabad, Meerut, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur and GautamBudh Nagar, which are disposing of their outflow into the Hindon. These mainly deal in fabrics dyeing, electroplating, pesticides formulation, ayurvedic medicines, soft drinks, tannery, frozen meat, paper, cattle slaughter house, sugar, dairy, calcium carbonate and distillery,” the petition said.
Ghaziabad has the maximum number of industries with manufacturers in diesel engines, electroplating, bicycles, picture tubes, tapestries, glassware, pottery, vegetable oil, paint and varnish, heavy chains, automobile pistons and rings, steel pharmaceuticals and liquor, among others.
There are as many as 172 industries that are disposing of their outflow into the Hindon
