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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) February 21, 2025 directed the additional chief secretary of the irrigation and flood control department (I&FCD) of Delhi to submit an undertaking by February 25, 2025 to complete desilting 24 drains that fall into River Yamuna within the stipulated timeline.
This will ensure that the the drains don't overflow during the upcoming monsoon season.
The official was directed to appear virtually on the next date of hearing on February 27, 2025 to appraise the court about the details of the manner in which the timeline will be adhered to. The drains included Sonia Vihar drain, Najafgarh drain, Shahdara drain, Barapulla drain and Tuglakabad drain, among others.
I&FCD submitted a report February 20, 2025 disclosing the status of desilting. The report also mentioned the targeted quantity of desilting.
The court was informed that if desilting work was not completed by I&FCD within the timeline, then people residing in colonies through which the drains flow will face losses due to flooding of the drains like last year.
“Hence, it is necessary that the work of desilting of these 24 drains is completed within the timeline which has been disclosed by I&FCD,” observed the bench of justices Prakash Shrivastava and Sudhir Agarwal.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) February 10, 2025 filed its report on steps taken to control pollution of River Ganga in Uttar Pradesh.
CPCB formed approximately 50 teams made up of its officials to carry out unannounced and random inspections of 1,370 grossly polluting industries (GPI), 36 sewage treatment plants (STP) and eight common effluent treatment plants (CETP) / common chrome recovery unit (CCRU) located in Uttar Pradesh.
Inspections by the CPCB teams commenced on August 26, 2022 and went on till November 30, 2024. A total of 1,391 inspections have been completed, including 1,347 GPIs located in 62 districts of Uttar Pradesh, 36 STPs in 10 districts and eight CETPs / CCRU in five districts. The remaining 23 GPIs are under process for inspection.
As per the 145 inspection reports, 76 GPIs were found operational and 69 were found non-operational. Out of the 76 operational GPIs, 34 GPIs were complying to norms, 40 GPIs were non-complying and 2 were dry operational on the day of inspection. The latter were recommended for re-inspected by UPPCB since the compliance of these units could not be verified.
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board in its report to the NGT February 19, 2025 said that requisite actions are being taken by authorities to clean up the Buckingham Canal.
The court was informed that the Buckingham Canal stretch of 500 metres from either side of the mass rapid transit system railway station, Chepauk was inspected on October 9, 2024.
It was observed that there was no water clogging in the canal and free flow of water was found. No pet bottle stagnation was reported. The public informed that the Greater Chennai Corporation cleaned the stretch on October 7, 2024 and it was cleaned twice in a month by the corporation.
NGT had registered the application suo motu based on a news article in The Times of India dated January 19, 2024, titled Buckingham Canal remains choked with garbage sewage.