Bench orders survey of industrial units, effluent treatment practices, other steps In a case filed by a city-based lawyer before the newly opened bench of National Green Tribunal in Pune pertaining to continuing pollution in the Chandrabhaga river in Pandharpur, the bench has issued several instructions to all respondents. The tribunal judicial member VR Kingaonkar and judicial expert Ajay Deshpande have issued orders to check what sanitary measures are taken during Pandharpur pilgrimage, take a survey of all industrial units and check their effluent treatment practices as well as draw water samples from river for testing besides other measures. Lawyer Asim Sarode had moved the plaint before the tribunal against State of Maharashtra through the ministry of environment and forests, chief officer of Pandharpur Nagar Parishad, district collector, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and Vithal Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Limited on Monday. In his plaint, he prayed that directions be kindly given to all respondents with regards to disposal of sewage, wastes including industrial wastes must be stopped so that purity of Chandrabhaga river is maintained. The tribunal directed the respondents to establish effluent treatment plant (ETP) and not to discharge the industrial waste into the Chandrabhaga river. Besides instructions were issued to take legal action from time to time against discharging and spreading pollutant in the Chandrabhaga river.