New Delhi, Aug 10 The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has summoned the director general of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to explain how the tapping of the Asi river, a tributary of the Ganga in Varanasi, was allowed in alleged violation of rules.
The green body is hearing a matter regarding the discharge of untreated sewage and industrial wastewater in the Ganga at Varanasi.
In an order dated August 5, made available on Monday, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Afroz Ahmad noted that the Asi (also known as Nagwa) river is being treated as a drain and has been tapped (intercepted or diverted), despite it being a recognised tributary of the Ganga.
Arguing the matter in person, advocate Saurabh Tiwari highlighted the illegal practice of intercepting natural river flows under the guise of pollution control.
The bench said under the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order of 2016, the tributaries of the river are legally defined as part of the "Ganga System" and that rules prohibit any permanent or temporary construction on the banks or floodplain of the Ganga and its tributaries that interrupts continuous flow.
It took note of the NMCG's reply that the tapping is an "interim measure" to tackle high pollution loads until a sewerage network is completed.
"Though it is stated that the river Asi is being tapped as a temporary measure, no timeline for removing the tapping and restoring the natural flow has been disclosed. Hence, it is difficult to accept that the tapping is only a temporary measure," the bench said.
It said the green panel had also come across instances in other cases where the tributaries of the Ganga were tapped.
"Hence, this issue needs to be clarified on the next date. In the aforesaid background, we require the DG, NMCG, to appear virtually or physically on the next date of hearing (on October 13) and explain the above aspect," the NGT said.
