New Delhi, February 19 (HS): The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has expressed dissatisfaction over the report of the Central Pollution Control Board on the quality of water of Ganga and Yamuna in Prayagraj. NGT raised questions on the Uttar Pradesh government and said that it is the responsibility of the state government to keep the river water clean. NGT directed the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board to take action on the report of the Central Pollution Control Board. The next hearing of the case will be on February 28.

During the hearing, the UP Pollution Control Board assured the NGT that it will take action on the report of the Central Pollution Control Board. Also, it will submit a fresh report in a week regarding the quality of water in Ganga and Yamuna. NGT reprimanded the UP government on the report of the UP Pollution Control Board and said that this report is before the time of the report of the Central Pollution Control Board. NGT said that you have not filed any new report because the UP Pollution Control Board's report is of January 12, while the Central Pollution Control Board's report is of that time. Apart from this, all the parameters related to the quality of water are also not mentioned. NGT said that the UP government has filed a long reply in this matter, but nowhere is there a mention of faecal coliform indicating pollution from wastewater. Have you filed this report to waste our time?

NGT said that if the quality of the river water cannot be told point-wise and if there is no pollution in one kilometer, then it does not mean that the entire river is not polluted. NGT expressed displeasure over the fact that the water was polluted from the place where the Central Pollution Control Board took the sample of Ganga Yamuna water, but the water was clean from the place where the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board took the sample in Ganga Yamuna.

In fact, the UP Pollution Control Board has refuted the report of the Central Pollution Control Board. In the report filed in NGT, UP Pollution Control Board has said that the water of Sangam is completely suitable for bathing. No polluted sewage is being released directly into Ganga or Yamuna river through drains. River water is suitable for bathing at 6 points on Ganga and Yamuna river in Prayagraj. There has been a slight increase in the figures of Biochemical Oxygen Demand and Faecal Coliform near Shastri Bridge. Central Pollution Control Board had said in its report that the water of Sangam in Prayagraj is not suitable for bathing.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar