The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to conduct sampling of the sludge present in the water, following a tiff between the Haryana and Delhi governments over polluted water being supplied to the Capital.
Directing Haryana to file statements, a Bench headed by judicial member Jawad Rahim said on Wednesday, “We desire that the State of Haryana shall file a statement on behalf by the Ministry concerned undertaking to address, recommendations, suggestion based on the findings in the joint inspection report submitted to implement short and long term remedial measure. We also direct the CPCB to conduct sampling and testing of sludge in all the forms as suggested in the report.”
The green panel further said that after receiving short term and long term implementation plans, it will pass the directions to the Delhi government.
Specifying areas from where the samples are to be collected, the NGT said in its order, “The samples to be collected and tested from two spots — one from the reservoir and another from the upstream by the CPCB for analysis.”
Earlier, the Delhi Jal Board had moved a petition in the green tribunal alleging that water being supplied by Haryana had high ammonia content, which was unsuitable for drinking. The DJB had contended in its petition that sewage treatment plants were unable to treat the water properly as pollution levels were extremely high. Citing presence of polluted water at Wazirabad reservoir, the petition read, “There is unsafe levels of ammonia in the water. The colour of the water being received from Haryana is blackish in colour and has a foul smell.”
