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Delhi HC seeks status report on cleaning Yamuna

The Delhi high court today directed the Central Pollution Control Board to file a status report on the progress of the Rs 4.8 billion Yamuna action plan for reducing pollution in the river and making its water consumption-worthy.

A division bench, comprising acting chief justice Devinder Gupta and Justice K S Gupta asked the CPCB to place the status report before them positively within four weeks and fixed the matter for further hearing on May 6.

The CPCB had submitted its action plan for cleaning Yamuna in August 1997.

The court was told that Haryana was a major cause of pollution of the river water and 42 industrial units in the state have been identified for enforcement of the guidelines fixed on pollution.

It was submitted that 15 units in the state were complying with the directions and 23 were found to have been flouting the guidelines.

So far as pollution due to insecticides was concerned, it was found to be within the permissible limit, he said. He said an action taken report has been prepared and would be submitted in the court within one week.

The cabinet committee on economic affairs has already approved Rs 3.57 billion to the Yamuna Pollution Board for cleaning the river and utilising its water for drinking purposes.

The court was hearing a public interest petition filed by environmental and legal activist B L Wadhera seeking a direction to the central government, CPCB, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Haryana Pollution Control Board and the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board for controlling the degradation of Yamuna.

According to the petitioner, though a Rs 4.8 billion Yamuna action plan was created in collaboration with the Japanese Overseas Environmental Cooperation Fund which gave a grant of 17.77 million yen for the purpose and Rs 1.21 billion had already been spent, no record was available listing details of the expenditure.

UNI

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