Industrial effluent, sewage polluting rivers: NGT chief

National Green Tribunal (NGT) chairperson Justice A K Goel Sunday said effluent discharge of industries and sewage water from cities and towns are polluting rivers across the country.

Talking to media after a seminar on environment safety here, Justice Goel criticized the state governments for their failure to find a suitable solution to solid waste and sewage water problems which are endangering human lives and also destroying the environment.

He said quality of air and water has deteriorated to an alarming stage and it is the duty of every individual to take responsibility to clean the environment and stand against the violators who pollute it. The NGT chief said imposing penalties on a state government by the tribunal will not be suffice to control the pollution until the public awakens themselves and raises their voice against it.

Earlier, addressing the seminar, Justice Goel lauded the efforts of noted environmentalist and AAP MP Balbir Singh Seechewal for his endeavour to clean the sacred Kali Bein rivulet and stressed the need to adopt Seechewal model to save water and air.

He appealed to people to come forward to help clean the environment as government machinery alone could not do it.

Speaking at the seminar, retired high court judge Jasbir Singh, who is chairman of monitoring committee of NGT, also appealed to the public to make the environment an issue for the sake of their lives and future generations.

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