New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) today declared 100 metres from edge of the river Ganga as 'No-Development Zone' in the stretch between Haridwar to Unnao and prohibited dumping of waste within 500 metres from the river. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar also declared imposing a penalty of Rs 50,000 on those dumping waste in the Ganga, within the stretch. (Photo- PR)
Directing the Uttar Pradesh Government to be “duty bound”, the Green Court in its 543-page judgment also ordered shifting of tanneries from Jajmau in Kanpur to leather parks in Unnao or any other place. Moreover, the Green Court also directed the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments to regulate religious activities on the ghats of Ganga or its tributaries.
It said that all industrial units falling in the catchment area of river Ganga should be stopped from indiscriminate extraction of groundwater. The tribunal also appointed a supervisory committee, to be headed by the Secretary of Water Resources Ministry and comprising IIT professors and officials from the UP government to supervise the implementation of the directions and also asked the committee to submit reports at regular intervals. (UNI)