People of village Raheta suffering due to paucity of drinking water: NGT orders probe
Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Panna Lal Vs State of Uttar Pradesh & Others dated 22/09/2022.
The NGT received a petition by Panna Lal, Secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist) highlighting the grievances of the inhabitants of village Raheta - a rehabilitated village under the Northern Coalfields (NCL) Kakri Project in Sonbhadra. Eight reverse osmosis plants have been installed there under corporate social responsibility (CSR). Out of them only three are operating and five RO plants are closed.
Similarly, community center constructed under CSR about thirty-four years ago is in dilapidated condition and has not been in use for the last five years. Persons belonging to Kakri, Nakti, Basi, Parasi forming part of SC/ST/backward community have been rehabilitated in village Raheta who are suffering and agitated due to the lack of basic facilities there.
The NGT noted that prima facie, the averments made in the "application raise questions relating to the environment arising out of the implementation of the enactments specified in Schedule I to the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010". Also, clean water and sanitation are one of the Sustainable Development goals (SDGs) of the UN adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at the UN Summit on Sustainable Development.
The tribunal directed a joint committee to look into the grievances of the applicant and undertake visits to the sites and after verifying the factual position, submit a report within a month.