No development zone near Ganga river, says NGT

Tribunal prohibits dumping of waste near Ganga banks: (The Hindu)

No development zone near Ganga river, says NGT

Context

• An area of 100 metres from the edge of the Ganga between Haridwar and Unnao has been declared a ‘No Development Zone,’ with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) prohibiting dumping of waste within 500 metres of the river.

Directions given by NGT

• The NGT directed the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments to formulate new guidelines for the religious activities performed on the Ganga Ghats and its tributaries.
• An environment compensation of Rs. 50,000 will be imposed on anyone dumping waste in the river.
• NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar ordered the authorities concerned to complete projects within two years including a sewage treatment plant and cleaning of drains.
• The Uttar Pradesh government is duty-bound to shift tanneries, within six weeks, from Jajmau in Kanpur to leather parks in Unnao or any other place it considers appropriate.
• The court also appointed a supervisory committee, headed by the Secretary of the Water Resources Ministry and comprising IIT professors and officials of the Uttar Pradesh government.
• The Supervisory committee will oversee implementation of the directions passed in its verdict.
• All industrial units in the catchment areas of the Ganga will be stopped from indiscriminate groundwater extraction.
• No in-stream mechanical mining is permitted and even the mining on the floodplain will now be semi-mechanical and more manual.
• Such mining will be allowed only after a detailed and comprehensive assessment of the annual replenishment of sand and gravel in the riverbed.