SRIGANGANAGAR / Not satisfied with the reply of the Forest and Environment Ministry on the subject of continuous water pollution in the canals of Rajasthan by Punjab, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had summoned the department secretary to appear in the court. Accordingly, Rashid Hussain, joint secretary appeared before the NGT on behalf of the Forest and Environment Ministry and said that the post of the chairman had been lying vacant since long. He further said that the process of appointing a new chairman had been completed but the opposition party was challenging the appointment in the court. Although, the dispute is now settled said the joint secretary later. However, the tribunal did not agree with this contention and directed Hussain to fill the vacant post of the chairman before January 13, which is the next date of the hearing. The tribunal also inter alia directed the ministry to file a “better affidavit” clearly mentioning as to how and when would they take remedial steps to check and control continuous water pollution by Punjab. During the previous hearing, the legal advisor of the Central Pollution Control Board submitted his reply which did not satisfy the NGT. As the board failed to present its case satisfactorily, the NGT summoned the secretary of the ministry to submit a reply. It is believed that this assertive action by NGT will speed up the case.
During the hearing of this case, Manish Meena, councillor for petitioners, zila pramukh Shobha Dudi, up-zila pramukh Shabnam Godara , former upzila pramukh Hanumangarh Panchayat Samiti, Rajendra Prasad said that in Punjab, chemical industrial waste which is dangerous to human life gets mixed in large quantities in the Sutlej and Vyas rivers, which are a source of water supply for the other rivers of Rajasthan. In Kala Sanghia, Phagwara, and Budda drains, industrial waste of leather and other industries and filthy sewage water of over a dozen cities are thrown into rivers which are hazardous for about two crore inhabitants living in Hanumangarh, Sriganganagar, Churu,
