New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has come down heavily on Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana for failing to stop the discharge of untreated effluents in the Ghaggar river and said that "if the State itself fails in implementing the law, it is nothing but breakdown of the system itself". A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said the three states and Chandigarh continue to contribute water pollution which is a criminal offence.
"It is breach of public trust under public trust doctrine. We are left with a feeling that there is no commitment to the rule of law and no concern for the environment and health of the citizens on the part of the concerned authorities in the states of HP, Haryana, Punjab and UT Chandigarh," said the bench, also comprising Justice Sudhir Agarwal. The tribunal directed the Chief Secretary, Punjab and the Advisor to the Administrator, Union Territory of Chandigarh in coordination with other concerned officers to take appropriate remedial measures to comply with the mandate of law, including the directions of the Supreme Court.
It also directed a joint committee of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Punjab PCB and pollution control committee of Chandigarh to inspect the drain and furnish a status report within two months by e-mail.
The tribunal said that in spite of enactment of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 making discharge of untreated effluents into a water body a criminal offence, the states are still struggling to prevent untreated sewage from being discharged into the water body at a huge cost to the environment and health and lives of citizens who have fundamental right to clean environment under the Constitution.
"Water pollution is a serious threat to the health of the citizens as well as other living beings who consume the water and also to the food safety for growth of which the water is used for irrigation...there can be no justification whatsoever for the State to have failed in complying with the law.