Polluted Ganga river needs to be rejuvenated: National Green Tribunal

New Delhi: With over 1,000 Seriously Polluting Industries (SPI) and 30 storm water drains lining the Ganga in the stretch between Haridwar and Kanpur and more than 800 million litres per day (MLD) of untreated sewage being poured into it, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has called for efforts to rejuvenate the river.

In a report submitted to National Green Tribunal (NGT), CPCB has also urged to stop disposal of sewage and protecting both the banks from encroachment and waste disposal along the 543 km stretch of the river.

"The river Ganga is dammed at many places such as Haridwar, Bijnor, Narora and Kanpur. As a result, the water quality and ecological sanctity is threatened," said a CPCB report on rejuvenation of Ganga for Phase-1, Segment 'B' (Haridwar to Kanpur).

The report said that the river has presence of bacterial contamination beside pollutants like heavy metals and pesticides.

At present 823.1 MLD untreated sewage and 212.42 MLD of industrial effluent flows into the river while three out of four monitored Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) are non-compliant with the standards.

"Till full-fledged STP are set-up, concerned bodies should set up temporary treatment systems within next six months to reduce existing pollution load," CPCB said.

The CPCB asked for building new STPs and for upgrading existing one. It also said the 30 identified storm water drains containing sewage and other wastes that join the river should be hygienically maintained and dredged at regular intervals.

"STPs should meet the criteria of suggested standards of CPCB with reference to fecal coliform bacteria," the report said.

There are 12 drains between Haridwar to Narora with flow of 270 MLD and 23.11 MLD organic load, this includes four in Bijnor, one in Sukratal, one Gajraula, two in Garh, two in Badaun, and two Anupsahar. Six drains between Narora to Kanpur which includes Bareilly-Aligarh and Kannauj, producing 657.58 MLD of flow. Eight drains within Kanpur have a flow of 465.73 MLD and two in Unnao with total flow of 77.6 MLD.

"The Chhoiya drain at Bijnor reported to be having coloured water, due to disposal of any or by all three suspected industries which includes Mohit Papers, Mohit Petrochemicals, Jain Distillery, should be directed to clean the drains and make it colorless bearing all the cost," CPCB said in the report.

Directing the industries to achieve Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD), especially in distillery, tannery and textile, CPCB said to upgrade the common effluent treatment plants within next 12 months.

"Tanneries, Textile and Distillery are water polluting in nature and it is required that the pollutants like chromium, total dissolved solid and other chemicals are separated before they are disposed into environment," CPCB said.

There are over 35 distillery, 442 tannery, 63 textile, 67 Pulp and paper, and 28 Chemical industries along Ganga river stretch between Haridwar to Kanpur.

The NGT in August pulled up the government on pollution in the Ganga river due to industrial discharge, saying that despite tall claims "zero result" was delivered.

It also sought details of the budgetary expenditure of Rs 20,000 crore from National Mission for Clean Ganga.