The demarcation of ponds within Kanpur Dehat district has been completed, the district magistrate of Kanpur Dehat, Uttar Pradesh informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on January 15, 2025 through a report. The data and details pertaining to the ponds have been geo-tagged and appropriately mapped, it stated.
The qualitative monitoring of 6,330 ponds has been completed with respect to parameters such as dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH levels. So far, a total of 6,949 ponds has been verified from the data available, thus, further work of qualitative monitoring of the remaining 619 ponds is under process.
Thus, the true total number of ponds existing as per revenue records and National Informatics Centre information is 6,949, out of which complete qualitative monitoring has been done of 6,330 ponds. Around 619 ponds are yet to be completely monitored.
The matter related to encroachment and disappearance of the ponds in Kanpur Dehat. The district initially has 1,975 ponds but now only have 880. Thus, 1,095 ponds have disappeared on account of encroachment, contamination of water, according to the application filed by Meghraj Singh.
In addition to monitoring physical parameters like DO and pH, factors such as muddy water and parasite growth impact pond ecosystems have also been analysed for the 33 ponds, which were found to have DO less than four on scale level.
As part of the Grey Water Management Program, community soak pits are being constructed to stop household liquid waste from flowing into water bodies. Surveys have been finished in 29 Gram Panchayats and are currently underway in 61 Gram Panchayats.
The report by the district panchayat raj officer mentioned that a total of 90 Gram Panchayats have been selected. The total number of soak pits under construction are 73. The total number of soak pits constructed and ready for use is 16 and the total number of soak pits constructed and under use is 16.
The court was informed that the regular cleaning of ponds before every rainfall is an ongoing and essential process to ensure proper water quality and prevent clogging or contamination. Cleaning has been completed for ponds in the urban local bodies of Rura, Pukhrayan, Rajpur and Kanchausi. Phytoremediation is being employed for drain treatment in ULB Pukhrayan.
Renovation and beautification of ponds in urban local bodies is taking place. The elimination of invasive plants and species, including water hyacinth, along with the renovation and beautification of ponds in various urban areas, has been successfully accomplished in Rura and Kanchausi. Additionally, in other locations such as two ponds each in Pukhraya, Rania, and Sikandra have been renovated.
The removal of excess algae is being carried out by fishermen who have taken the ponds on lease. At present, 1,009 ponds have been leased and are deemed suitable for fishing activities, all under the supervision and guidance of the Department of Fisheries.
Further, in order to maintain open and sunlit ponds to enhance pond ecology, the renovation and beautification work for two ponds is currently in progress under the Nagar Palika Parishad, Pukhraya.
The removal of encroachments is also under process by the district administration. Among encroachments which are under consideration for rremoval — permanent encroachments of 162 ponds are duly identified and the process of their removal has begun by the concerned authorities.
In addition, as part of the wetland conservation programme, the district forest department has undertaken a plantation drive to green the catchment areas of various ponds. This initiative has successfully greened the Barigaon wetland, the banks of the Magahi wetland and the Duwari pond through extensive tree planting efforts. In the absence of faecal sludge or sewage treatment plants, drains located in Nagar Palika Parishad, Pukharaya are treated with phytoremediation and bioremediation.
The western zone bench of NGT directed January 13, 2025 the Municipal Corporation of Latur, Maharashtra and others to submit their reply affidavits on the matter of mismanagement of waste in Latur. The case would be next heard on March 5, 2025.
The case related to roadside garbage lying at a number of sites in Latur. According to the applicant, the Latur Municipal Corporation has not been taking adequate steps to clear the garbage to avoid health hazards.
The Municipal Corporation has failed in its duty in bringing awareness among the people to segregate the waste and was also not collecting the garbage/solid waste to be taken to the landfill site, which has been set up at Gut No 30, Warvanti taluka, Latur, wherein the same ought to have been processed. It was also stated that the city of Latur, which has a population of 650,000, is generating solid waste more than 200 MT per day.