River Alaknanada pollution: NGT issues notice to Jal Shakti ministry

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has issued notice to the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti for complying with its earlier order on submitting an action-taken report pertaining to pollution of River Alaknanada in Uttarakhand.

The NGT was hearing a petition which claimed that while executing the master plan of Badrinath in Uttarakhand, muck was being discharged into the river resulting in pollution of the water body.

A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said the tribunal in its earlier order on May 29 this year had directed the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) to submit its response and action taken report within two months.

The bench also comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel, in a recent order, noted that there was no response from the union ministry.

“Let fresh notice be sent to the Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti for compliance with the direction contained in the order dated May 29,” the tribunal said.

The matter has been listed on January 4 for further proceedings.