Overcoming 'official indifference' biggest challenge for Yamuna cleaning: NGT panel

Overcoming "official indifference" was the biggest challenge to monitor Yamuna cleaning as water pollution, despite statutory provisions and copious exhortations, is not a priority, a committee formed by the National Green Tribunal has said.

Overcoming "official indifference" was the biggest challenge to monitor Yamuna cleaning as water pollution, despite statutory provisions and copious exhortations, is not a priority, a committee formed by the National Green Tribunal has said. The two-member Yamuna Monitoring Committee, which comprises retired NGT expert member B S Sajwan and former Delhi chief secretary Shailaja Chandra, elaborated about its experience over the last 23 months in its final report submitted to the NGT. "To overcome official indifference was the biggest challenge. It was not the result of any defiance or unwillingness to fulfil the NGT's directions or to thwart YMC's monitoring efforts but was mainly because water pollution, despite statutory provisions and copious exhortations is not a priority," the committee said. "Second, maintenance issues are given little importance at a political level as compared with new infrastructure projects and schemes. This has got embedded in mindset of officers and engineers because the benchmarks by which performance is judged rests mainly on the officer's capacity to get project approvals, garner funds and procure goods and services in time," it said.

The YMC told the tribunal that the quality of life issues affecting citizens are often relegated to the background and the day-to-day maintenance is at a low ebb often left to junior people to sort out. "Unless benchmarks which matter to the citizens' daily lives are set and begin to matter, any reduction in pollution will be pursued only as long as there is oversight. Organisations like Delhi Jal Board and municipal corporations which have statutory responsibilities accord very low priority to these functions," it said. "They avoid taking any action that might have an adverse public or political reaction and until such issues receive attention the atmosphere of laissez faire and conniving with contactors that find rough and ready solutions may continue. Delhi Pollution Control Committee does not have the stature and independence needed to function as an effective regulator for sewage," the committee said. The YMC said that far greater level of public involvement is needed for a cleaner Yamuna and to achieve citizens need to play a proactive role. "Cleaning the river was included in the government's list of election promises earlier this year and YMC was told that focus had begun to be given at a political level also. Because of the current health crisis it has again taken a back seat," it said. The committee said that as far as YMC's experience is concerned, in the beginning the meetings remained inconclusive and the progress was slow and each time inter-departmental and intra departmental issues were given precedence over the need to find solutions.

The same degree of unpreparedness was evident from most officers who despite the purpose of every meeting having been sent a detailed agenda prepared by the members in advance, came without reading NGT's orders or the agenda, the YMC said. This is being reported not as a complaint but as indicative of how systems function despite clear orders. The NGT had directed the Chief Secretary of Delhi to make the YMC functional within one week. Commenting on lack of infrastructural and logistics support, the committee said that there was need for basic staff and office equipment to carry out the work assigned to it.

"The CEO DJB had been entrusted with the task of providing space and logistic support to the Committee but on his first interaction with YMC, the then CEO expressed helplessness and requested that the members themselves suggest how to move ahead," it said. "He could suggest no space in an already functioning office and said DJB would hire space identified by YMC. This response was surprising but in view of the urgency expressed by NGT, YMC started looking for alternatives alongside its substantive responsibilities," it said. The committee contended that other monitoring committees and institutions functioning in the area of urban development had been operating out of India Habitat Centre for years but the option was found unsuitable because of the expense involved and the need for separately hiring committee rooms for holding meetings.

"The Islamic Centre on Lodhi road was approached but the management said it did not allow extended stay. A request was then made to the Director of the India International Centre and fortunately he could suggest a small flat which had been hired out in the past for the long-term use of a single PhD scholar," it said. "YMC decided to start functioning from this accommodation despite the fact that both members had to share the small space and facilities. An extra single room was arranged from where the staff could work which was converted into a meeting room when needed. It was through this improvisation that large meetings could be convened," it said. The committee said that government procedures made the purchase of equipment like computers, printers and scanners very slow and YMC began by using personal equipment.

The YMC also faced a struggle in getting even rudimentary staff support and full-time officers could not be spared by the DJB..

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