: In a move to clean up the Ganga, the Uttarakhand High Court on Friday ordered that 150 “defaulting” commercial establishments, including industries and hotels in Uttarakhand, be “shut” with immediate effect. Closure notices to 44 of these polluting units were served in the year 2014, and to the remaining 106 in the year 2015.
The Division Bench comprising Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Alok Singh, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed by one Lalit Miglani, ordered the Comptroller and Auditor- General (CAG) to conduct a “special” audit of all the schemes for the Ganga river’s rejuvenation financed by the Central government and the governments of the five States through which the river passes. The Court has asked CAG to finish the report within six months and to place the audit report before the President.
Inter-State Council
The Court also directed the Central government to form an inter-State Council “for all the riparian States through which river Ganga flows” within three months. The inter-State council comprising Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal shall form recommendations for cleaning of the Ganga, which would then be submitted to the Central government. The Central government shall then act on the recommendations “to restore river Ganga to its pristine glory,” the court order stated.
The Court also ordered that the ashrams spread across Haridwar that continued to discharge untreated sewage into the Ganga would either be “sealed or closed down” by the district authorities. Also, the concerned authorities have been directed to take “strict action” against any establishment discharging untreated sewage or industrial effluents into the Ganga. “All the drains opening into the Ganga shall be sealed and closed after three months,” the order stated.
No new industries
The “most pollutant units” on the banks of the Ganga must be relocated and no new water-based industries, including sugarcane, pulp and paper, distilleries or textiles would be permitted within a radius of two kilometres from the banks of the Ganga. “The State government is directed to ensure that the people do not use soap, oil and shampoo while taking bath in river Ganga. Bathing of cattle in the river is also banned forthwith,” the Order stated.
Also, according to the Order, a fine of Rs. 5,000 will be imposed on any person found littering, urinating, or defecating within a radius of 500 metres on both sides of the Ganga.
