The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on July 7, 2025 heard a matter concerning the construction of a sewage treatment plant (STP) following the interception and diversion of the Rayad drain in Jalaun district, Uttar Pradesh. The complaint related to the STP being built in Nagar Palika Parishad, Kalpi after the drain, which flows through the municipality, is intercepted and diverted.
The applicant submitted that the Rayad drain has a flow of 11 million litres per day (MLD) over seven days, while the proposed STP has a capacity of only 5 MLD, resulting in a mismatch.
In support of this submission, the applicant referred to RTI information provided by the office of the project manager, Ganga Pollution Control Unit, Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam (Gramin), Kanpur, dated February 14, 2025, along with the enclosed discharge measurement.
The NGT directed that notices be issued to the Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and the Union Ministry of Urban Development, among others. The respondents have been directed to file their response affidavits.
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) was directed by the Eastern Bench of the NGT on July 7, 2025 to file a counter-affidavit in response to allegations of illegal constructions over sabik (old record) as well as hal kisam (present record) forest land in various villages of Jajpur district, Odisha. State government’s forest, environment and climate change department and the district collector, Jajpur, were also instructed to submit their reports.
The applicant, Kailash Chandra Nayak, a resident of Nuadihi village under Danagadi tehsil in Jajpur district, alleged that forest land was being used for non-forest activities.
It was claimed that illegal constructions are taking place on sabik and hal kisam forest land across several villages in the district, using funds from the District Mineral Foundation (DMF), with approval from the district collector, Jajpur, who is also the managing trustee of the DMF.
The Block Development Officers of Danagadi and Sukinda are reportedly executing these constructions, which have been approved and funded by the district collector/managing trustee of the DMF, the NGT was told.
The applicant further alleged that these constructions are being carried out illegally on forest land without central government approval, as required under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. A representation over this was submitted to the tribunal on March 30, 2025.
In response, the deputy secretary, Department of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Odisha, wrote to the principal chief conservator of forests & head of forest forces, Odisha, on April 9, 2025, asking them to investigate the allegations and take necessary action. However, no steps have yet been taken to halt the illegal construction activities on forest kisam land.
The application claimed that large concrete structures have been erected on the forest kisam land without adherence to the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
The work on the Samyandhira drain has been completed in its entirety, the NGT was told July 8, 2025. The proposed discharge of 26.25 cusecs from the drain can now flow freely into the Saryu River, according to a report submitted by the district magistrate, Ayodhya .
The report addressed complaints regarding obstruction to the flow of the river Trilodki, also known as Trilodki Ganga and the discharge of polluted water by Amrit Bottlers Pvt Ltd (Coca-Cola), Ayodhya.
The Ayodhya Development Authority stated that the government of Uttar Pradesh approved a project for the development of the Telai Nala. Of the sanctioned Rs 29.80 crore, Rs 20.86 crore has already been released. Approximately 80 per cent of the physical work on the Telai nullah, running through densely populated areas, has been completed, with the remainder progressing at an accelerated pace.
Amrit Bottlers has installed a full effluent treatment plant, comprising primary, secondary, and tertiary units, along with a commissioned reverse osmosis/ultrafiltration system. The treated effluent is currently discharged into a natural drain in compliance with norms and ultimately flows into the Telaiya drain. A targeted plan is in place to construct a dedicated drain and connect it to the new Telaiya drain.