Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding Hooghly river pollution, West Bengal, 16/02/2022
Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Suprova Prasad Vs Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change & Others dated 16/02/2022.
The matter related to large-scale pollution at various ghats in the river Hooghly. The ghats are - Ahiritola Ghat, Nimtala Ghat, Mayer Ghat, Sutanuti Ghat, Kumortuli Ghat and Cosipore Ghat. Counsel for the Applicant submits that the figures prepared by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board and the Central Pollution Control Board, showed that in the name of sewage treatment plants only some shoddy paperwork has been done and that more than 83 per cent of untreated sewage is allowed to be drained into the river Hooghly everyday thereby threatening the lives and health of millions of residents of the city of Kolkata who depend for their survival and livelihood on the water of the Hooghly river.
The NGT (Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata) directed the constitution of a committee to look into the matter. The committee would inspect the ghats and submit its report along with a complete action plan for restoration and remedial measures to prevent further pollution in the river Hooghly within four weeks.