The National Green Tribunal has questioned the Uttar Pradesh government’s plan treating the Assi river in Varanasi as a drain
The tribunal said permanently tapping stormwater drains to divert sewage is neither legally nor environmentally sound
More than 30 partially or untapped drains continue to discharge untreated sewage into the Ganga and Varuna
Over 60% of Varanasi households remain outside the sewer network, with the NGT seeking a clear timeline for full connectivity
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has raised serious concerns about the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government’s approach to cleaning the Ganga, citing the continued discharge of untreated sewage and industrial waste into the Ganga and its tributaries in Varanasi. During a hearing on February 5, 2026, the tribunal said that permanently tapping stormwater drains to divert sewage was neither legally permissible nor environmentally sound.
The principal bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Srivastava and expert member Dr A Senthil Vel, made the observations while hearing the cases of Ashish Kumar Mishra vs Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board and Saurabh Tiwari vs Union of India, both relating to sewage discharge into the Ganga and Varuna rivers in Varanasi and Chandauli.
According to the state plan submitted by the Uttar Pradesh government, a total of 76 drains in Varanasi and Chandauli flow into the Ganga and Varuna rivers.
Of these, 33 drains flow into the Ganga — 26 fully tapped and seven partially or untapped. A further 43 drains flow into the Varuna, with 19 tapped and 24 either partially tapped or untapped.
The tribunal noted that 31 partially or untapped drains continue to discharge untreated domestic sewage, describing this as a serious concern.
The NGT observed that in several locations stormwater drains had been permanently tapped to carry sewage. It said such an arrangement could only be temporary — until households were fully connected to the sewer network.
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), which oversees the Namami Gange programme, told the tribunal it had allowed states to temporarily tap stormwater drains. However, the bench directed that detailed project reports (DPR) approving sewage treatment plants (STP) must include clear timelines to ensure these temporary arrangements do not become permanent.
The tribunal stressed that making stormwater drains a long-term solution would violate environmental principles.
A key issue in the hearing was the classification of the Assi (Nagwa) river. The state plan described the Assi as a “drain” and proposed tapping it.
The NGT clarified that the Assi is a tributary of the Ganga and that the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016 prohibits the tapping of tributaries.
Although the state government said it had received permission from the NMCG, the tribunal has now asked the agency to explain how such approval was granted in light of the 2016 order.
According to the state plan, Varanasi currently has seven operational sewage treatment plants with a combined capacity of 420 million litres per day (MLD), of which about 84 per cent is being utilised.
The tribunal expressed concern that, because sewage is being routed through storm drains, some STPs could be located within the Ganga’s floodplain. It has directed the NMCG to clarify how it ensured that treatment plants were not approved in flood-prone zones.
The plan also reveals that while 414,809 households in Varanasi are proposed to be connected to the sewer network, only 156,300 have so far been linked — meaning more than 60 per cent remain outside the system. The tribunal has asked the state government to provide a clear timeline for achieving full connectivity.
In addition, while the plan lists industrial drains and treatment facilities in Chandauli, it does not specify whether these plants comply with environmental standards. The NGT described this as a significant shortcoming.
The Uttar Pradesh government and the NMCG have been directed to submit a detailed progress report within six weeks. The next hearing is scheduled for April 21, 2026.