The National Green Tribunal has imposed a Rs 25,000 fine on the state of Jharkhand for not submitting a report regarding prevention and control of pollution in the river Ganga.
The NGT has taken up the matter of abatement of pollution in the Ganga and its tributaries across the country.
In November last year, the tribunal had sought specific information on Ganga pollution from the chief secretaries of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
In Jharkhand, the river flows through the four districts of Sahibganj, Bokaro, Dhanbad and Ramgarh.
Noting that Jharkhand did not submit its report, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said, "It is unfortunate that despite the repeated opportunities, district magistrates (who are the heads of district Ganga protection committees) are not responding to either the order of the tribunal or the communication sent by Chief Secretary." "At this stage, we are taking a lenient view and imposing the token cost of Rs 25,000 which is to be deposited by the state of Jharkhand within one week and it will be open to the state to recover this amount from the defaulting District Magistrates and report it to the tribunal," the bench said.
In an order passed on February 20, the tribunal allowed four more weeks to the DMs concerned to file the requisite information in the manner directed by the tribunal.
The matter has been posted on April 10 for further proceedings. PTI MNR MNR SK SK
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