Latest news with #NGT
The Hindu
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
In last 11 years, cleaning Ganga has become election jumla: Congress
The Congress claimed on Friday (June 20, 2025) that the Centre and the Bihar government have not fulfilled their promise of cleaning the Ganga and said in the last 11 years, the exercise of ridding the river of pollutants has become just an "election jumla". Also Read | Why Clean Ganga project has a long way to go Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh claimed that not only in Bihar, "Mother Ganga" has become more polluted than ever before throughput its stretch. "Most of the schemes launched in the name of Ganga cleanliness campaign have proved to be a black hole of corruption. After the foundation-stone laying, inauguration and heavy publicity, neither any work is visible nor any concrete result," he alleged in post in Hindi on X. Mr. Ramesh's attack came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in line with his commitment to the conservation and rejuvenation of the Ganga, inaugurated six sewage treatment plants (STPs) under the Namami Gange project, worth over Rs 1,800 crore. Mr. Ramesh said, "The advertisement-loving prime minister is once again on a tour of Bihar. No matter how many fake announcements the prime minister makes, no matter how many ribbons he cuts for free advertising, the truth is that the double-engine government in Bihar has completely failed to meet the expectations of the common people." The Congress leader claimed that oppression against the deprived classes is at its peak in Bihar, the law-and-order situation is extremely bad, criminals have become unbridled and the common citizens are helpless. Everyday, there are reports of killings, robberies and violence against women, he claimed. There is no employment opportunity for youngsters in the State, and they are forced to migrate from Bihar, the former Union minister said. "During this visit, the prime minister will also express his electoral concern about the pollution of Mother Ganga. But the truth is that in the last 11 years, 'Ganga cleaning' has become just an election jumla, which is suddenly remembered before every poll," he added. Also Read | Ganga water was fit for bathing during Maha Kumbh: Government tells Parliament The National Green Tribunal (NGT) itself is exposing the terrible condition of Ganga pollution in Bihar, Mr. Ramesh said. The Congress accused the BJP-led Centre and the JD(U)-BJP government in Bihar of not fulfilling their promise of purifying the Ganga and claimed that the condition of the river is such that its water is neither drinkable nor suitable for bathing. Addressing a press conference, party MP Manoj Kumar cited a report to claim that of the 13 STPs built for the Ganga and its tributaries in Bihar, only seven are working. He said the promise made to purify the Ganga water under the "Namami Gange" project has turned out to be false. "Narendra Modi and (Bihar Chief Minister) Nitish Kumar together neither took any step towards flood control nor made the Ganga water drinkable. Even the NGT imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the Bihar government," he claimed. Mr. Kumar said that due to the high amount of faecal coliform (FC) bacteria, the NGT has stated that the river's water is neither fit for drinking nor for bathing.
Indian Express
12 hours ago
- General
- Indian Express
Ganesha devotees vs historic lake: PIL in NGT to urge authorities to protect Dhamapur lake in Maharashtra
More than 500 years ago, in the lush forests of Sindhudurga district, two villages, Dhamapur and Kalse, came together and constructed an earthen dam, creating a water reservoir that acted as a flood mitigation measure. The Dhamapur lake, which is a World Heritage Irrigation structure of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, is now under threat from immersed Ganesha idols. A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed at the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Pune on June 10 against the immersion of idols and washing of utensils and clothes in Dhamapur lake, and to urge authorities to take greater ownership. 'If you take a bird's eye view of Dhamapur village, you will see that there is a Karli creek on one side and a plateau on the other. The region receives heavy rainfall, around 3,000 mm, and we can understand that there would have been flooding in those days. The earthen dam was built to stop the water flow, and a huge lake was created. After creating the lake, the villagers realised that the water could be channelled through the farm fields and then connected to the Karli creek. We see that the dynamics of this engineering were compatible with the biodiversity and ecosystem,' said Sachin Desai of the University of Life, a centre for sustainable livelihood and lifelong learning run by Syamantak Trust in Dhamapur. He further said that the canal that winds from the field is connected to the creek. 'So, the salinity of the creek water is reduced because fresh water continuously flows into it from the field,' Desai added. Around 15 years ago, the Syamantak Trust realised that the dynamics of the lake were not well-known among the local people, largely due to migration. 'We saw that they were constructing a skywalk inside the lake. This was something abnormal, and a student from our organisation, who went on to become a lawyer, filed a petition in the NGT against the skywalk,' said Desai, adding that they did a complete documentation of the entire village at the time. The result was that the court gave a stringent order against the skywalk. It was during this time that the organisation observed that over 200 idols were immersed in the lake. 'At one point, the villagers and even the people of Malvan town were complaining that there was significant siltation in the lake, which was reducing its water-carrying capacity. According to the Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency – Vol. X, published in 1880, and old scriptures, the lake's depth was around 38 feet. In its history of 500 years, the lake has never shrunk. In 2019, for the first time, the water reached the dead level. We see the wisdom of old engineering and how modern techniques and technology have been harmful to the water body,' said Desai. A further survey revealed that the clay for Ganesh idols was being brought to the Konkan from Gujarat and Rajasthan. Ganeshotsav is a major festival in the Konkan, and though the use of Plaster of Paris in making idols is not allowed by law, shadu mati was not helping either. Yet, truckloads of the clay were coming to the region. 'Then second thing we found was that the idol makers were putting some kind of hard plastic to create the ornamentation for the idols. All this was being immersed in the lake,' said Desai. 'The collector sanctioned around Rs 10 lakh to the irrigation department, and an immersion tank was constructed. But which authority would ensure that idols were immersed in the tank? For the last two years, local volunteers have been trying to encourage villagers to immerse the idols in the tank. 'We have some statistics; Around 70 per cent of idols are going into the immersion tank. The rest are still going into the lake,' added Desai. On the request of the organisation, a few eminent Marathi actors like Anand Ingle, Parna Pethe, Pratima Kulkarni, Suhas Paranjpe, Umesh Jagtap, and the late Atul Parchure made video bites to appeal to villagers to immerse their idols only in the designated tank. The organisation also removed the clay and encouraged a local idol maker to recycle it into another idol. 'He made some miniature small clay idols and earned around Rs 70,000 from that,' said Desai. 'Our petition in the NGT is based on the fact that the irrigation department and the district collector are the trustees of the water bodies and all the natural resources. As a trustee, they have to protect this natural wealth and take steps to conserve it, which they are not doing,' Desai further said. There are eight tonnes of clay immersed in the lake. Desai said they are hoping that the irrigation department will take steps to stop further deterioration of the lake, and barricades and security personnel will be installed at the lake to prevent people from immersing idols in the water. Dipanita Nath is interested in the climate crisis and sustainability. She has written extensively on social trends, heritage, theatre and startups. She has worked with major news organizations such as Hindustan Times, The Times of India and Mint. ... Read More
Time of India
a day ago
- General
- Time of India
22 sea-facing buildings on ECR face demolition after CRZ violations flagged
Chennai: As many as 22 beach-facing residential buildings in Muttukadu on East Coast Road (ECR) face the threat of demolition, with the Chengalpattu district administration identifying them as violators of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules. The identified buildings—some completed, others still under construction—are located within the No Development Zone (NDZ) of CRZ III, where permanent structures are banned within 200 metres of the High Tide Line. At least six of these were found to be under construction even during the inspection, indicating ongoing activity despite regulatory restrictions. Others are upscale, completed buildings, with some even having two floors, built along the fragile coastal stretch at Muttukadu. These findings were part of an Action Taken Report submitted by Chengalpattu Collector S Arunraj to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which took suo motu cognisance of the matter. The collector's team, comprising revenue and environmental officials, carried out GPS-tagged inspections and submitted photographs and ownership details to the Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority (TNSCZMA) to initiate action. The case, heard on Thursday, saw the tribunal's expert member Satyagopal Korlapati ask pointed questions on why no demolition was initiated so far, given that violations were already acknowledged by the administration. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo The NGT also noted that the District Collector, as chairman of the district coastal zone management authority (DCZMA), was expected to act decisively against such illegal developments. In response, the state coastal zone management authority (SCZMA) informed the bench that it forwarded the list of violators to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, seeking clarification on whether it had the authority to directly carry out demolitions. The NGT is now expected to decide on whether demolition can proceed without waiting for further directions from the Centre. The matter is likely to be taken up in the coming weeks.
United News of India
a day ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Modi will spread untruths on Namami Ganga project during Bihar visit: Congress
Patna, June 19 (UNI) Congress on Thursday expressed apprehension that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would spread "only untruths" on the Namami Ganga project in Bihar during his visit to the state on Friday, as the initiative has "completely failed" in achieving its target. Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) chief Rajesh Ram told media persons here the project's failure has forced the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to express its "grave concern" over the pollution level in Ganga and also slap a fine of Rs 50,000 on the state government for the lapses committed in the execution of the project. Ram said PM Modi was scheduled to visit the state and address a function in Siwan. During the function, Modi would also inaugurate a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Digha in Patna, but the pollution level of the Ganga river has "exposed the failures" of the Nitish Kumar government in properly executing the Namami Ganga project and it was also pointed out by the National Green Tribunal. "There are 13 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in Bihar and 7 of them are functional and all functional STPs are non compliants, failing short of fixed standards of Fecal Coliform (FC) ", the Congress leader said, adding that high level of FC in Ganga water meant presence of excess human and cattle excreta, than its prescribed limit. Based on a petition filed by M C Mehta, the NGT slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on the state government for its failures in properly implementing Namami Ganga project, he added. "Pollution level of Ganga water is so high that it is not worth drinking and bathing", Ram said adding that during the period from 2014 to 2024, Bihar was given Rs 3,914.53 crores under Namami Ganga project which was not utilised and looted by officials in connivance with their political masters. "The STP constructed at Digha in Patna was located in a flood prone area which posed threat of pollution during flood in monsoon," he pointed out. UNI KKS SSP
Time of India
a day ago
- General
- Time of India
UT races against time to clear Dadumajra dump before NGT hearing
Chandigarh: With the clock ticking and monsoon clouds looming, the Chandigarh municipal corporation has pledged to clear the third garbage dump at the Dadumajra dumping site by the end of July — a task that has already missed multiple deadlines and now carries the weight of a looming National Green Tribunal (NGT) hearing in September. At the heart of the issue lies a mountain of waste — 1.25 lakh metric tonnes, to be precise — sprawled across the Dadumajra site. The cleanup, estimated to cost Rs 10 crore, has been repeatedly delayed, with the rains proving to be the biggest spoiler. "Once it rains, the waste becomes waterlogged and heavy, making it nearly impossible to move. It takes days just to resume operations," said an MC official on the condition of anonymity. The urgency was palpable during a high-level review meeting chaired by the UT chief secretary. Senior officials from the MC and Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) gathered to assess progress on NGT-related issues, with Dadumajra dump dominating the discussion. "This isn't just about garbage—it's about accountability," said a senior official. "The NGT is watching, and we have no choice but to deliver." But the dump isn't the only concern. The meeting also reviewed the status of other critical environmental projects, including new sewage treatment plant (STP) in Faida village, laying of tertiary treated (TT) water pipelines, functioning of newly upgraded STPs, restoration of the city's choes (seasonal rivulets). The chief secretary has issued a clear directive: all pending and planned works must be completed before the NGT hearing in September.
