NGT rejects Bihar govt's plea seeking extension of time to complete STPs for Ganga rejuvenation

The National Green Tribunal has rejected the plea of the Bihar government seeking an extension of time to complete sewage treatment plants for treating pollutants entering river Ganga. The tribunal said the main reason given for seeking an extension of time is COVID-19 which arose only in the last six months and the lockdown was for about three months. While COVID-19 is certainly an event that cannot be ignored, the timelines which have been laid down are not out of the blue, the tribunal said.

The green panel said it is the responsibility of the State and the Local bodies to ensure that no untreated sewage is discharged into the water bodies. "Such discharge is a criminal offense under the Water Act and breach of duty of the State to provide a clean environment, which is part of the right to life under the Constitution. "The funds for the purpose have to be arranged by the State either by collecting from the concerned citizens or otherwise," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice A K Goel said. The tribunal does not have any jurisdiction to extend the time so as to permit activities which are a crime under the law of the land and also contempt of the orders of the Supreme Court, it said.

"The extension earlier granted is only for taking coercive measures of recovering compensation. Recovery of compensation for the loss caused to the environment to apply the binding principle of polluter pays for utilizing the said amount for remediation of the environment. "Thus, there is no merit in the prayer for extension of time, which has to be rejected. The State may take further steps of recovering the compensation as already directed which may be deposited with the state pollution control board," the bench said. The tribunal was hearing an application filed by the Bihar government seeking an extension of time for completing the STPs.

Noting that the pollution situation is grim in the country, the NGT has directed 100 percent treatment of sewage entering the rivers across the country by March 31, 2020. The NGT has warned that if this is not done, the local bodies and concerned departments of the states and Union Territories (UTs) will be liable to pay compensation of Rs 5 lakh a month per drain in the case of river Ganga and Rs 5 lakh for default in the commencement of setting up of sewage treatment plant.

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