PM chairs meeting of National Ganga River Basin Authority

[Hindustani78]

The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari at a ‘Investors Conference’, in Mumbai on November 02, 2017.

The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari at a ‘Investors Conference’, in Mumbai on November 02, 2017.

 

[Hindustani78]

A crane lifts a vehicle that fell into Ganga river from a bridge in Mirzapur on Thursday. PTI Photo

 

[Hindustani78]

A google map image of the Begusarai in Bihar. | Photo Credit: Google Maps

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...ai-district/article19980541.ece?homepage=true

Sadar Deputy Superintendent of Police Mithilesh Kumar said the incident occurred in a narrow lane next to the Simariya Ghat.

Three women were killed and several others injured in a stampede near Simariya Ghat on the banks of river Ganga in Bihar’s Begusarai district around 7 am on Saturday, police said.

Sadar Deputy Superintendent of Police Mithilesh Kumar said the incident occurred in a narrow lane next to the ghat, nearly 100 km from the state capital, where people had gathered in large numbers on the occasion of Karthik Purnima.

“We are trying to ascertain the cause behind the stampede,” Mr. Kumar said, adding that the women’s identities have not been ascertained yet.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced an ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh each for the families of the deceased and free treatment for those injured in the incident.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Water Resources
05-November, 2017 16:25 IST
National Mission for Clean Ganga Organises Ek Shaam Ganga Ke Naam

River Ganga has been an unceasing source of livelihood for more than 40 percent of India’s population. It has been unconditionally providing for our needs and has been the very essence of spirituality. In order to acknowledge the river’s importance and celebrate its magnificence, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) organised a cultural evening – “Ek Shaam Ganga ke Naam” yesterday in New Delhi. On this date in 2008, Ganga was declared as the National River of India.

Intended to evoke Ganga consciousness, the event was attended by hundreds of people from all walks of life including bureaucrats, academicians, researchers, artists, students, teachers, water and river experts, engineers, media, and other stakeholders. The purpose of the evening was to bring all stakeholders together for a wonderful cause of Ganga rejuvenation and forge ahead in unison. Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Amarjit Singh also graced the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga, Shri UP Singh said: “Ganga is not just a water resource; it is linked deeply with the sentiments of millions of people. It is essential to rid the river of pollution. While the government is working hard to rejuvenate the river, the participation of people is of utmost importance.”

The main attraction of the event was an enthralling dance drama – Namami Gange – produced by Padma Bhushan Dr. Saroja Vaidyanathan. The performance, a Bharatnatyam recital, depicted river Ganga’s story with the contemporary relevance. The dance drama while illustrating the endurance the river observes, called for urgency to restore this flowing lifeline to its pristinity. The act beautifully captured the necessity of public participation in clean Ganga campaign, which under Namami Gange programme, has picked up pace. The audience witnessed in awe as the story of Ganga was told in a beautiful way.

The dance drama was preceded by a singing performance on popular songs on Ganga. Shri Partha Purshotam Dutta, his wife Smt. Binapani Dutta and their band charmed the audience by presenting the songs in their own unique style.

The evening began with a dance-ballet by the students of Heritage Public School on Namami Gange theme song that has been composed and sung by Trichur Brothers. It depicted an episode of Indian mythology where King Bhagirath does Tapasya to bring Ganga on earth to give salvation to his ancestors and Lord Shiva locks Ganga in his tresses before releasing it only after Bhagirath’s plea. The brilliant performance of the students of 5th to 9th standard left the audience mesmerized.

Mother Ganga is lifeline of millions of people, sustains several aquatic species, and has been embracing us from times immemorial. It is our duty to play our part in ensuring that a nirmal and aviral Ganga continues to be with us in times of joy and sorrow. Under Namami Gange programme, no stone is being left unturned to take clean Ganga message to masses. However, the herculean task of cleaning river Ganga cannot be realised without unwavering public participation.

Samir/SKP

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/20-new-air-quality-monitoring-stations/article20083591.ece

CM blames crop burning for PM levels

Inaugurating 20 air quality monitoring stations, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said though particulate matter levels in here were high in September, the spike in pollution was due to crop burning in neighbouring States.

Most monitors in city

Mr. Kejriwal e-inaugurated the 20 new stations of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, which had six already. With the new stations, Delhi became the city with the most pollution monitors in the country, with the Central Pollution Control Board and the Indian Meteorological Department’s stations as well.

“Pure politics says we should have inaugurated these stations after a month since there is so much pressure right now, due to crop burning. But, we don’t want to do that kind of politics,” he said, adding the new stations would increase transparency.

He said average levels of PM10 and and PM2.5 were 300 and 160 micrograms/m3 respectively. “Today the PM10 level is 940 and PM2.5 is 750. This increase was not due to local reasons in Delhi,” he said, adding that crop burning in adjoining States had led to the spike.

air-quality-monitoring-stations-Delhi

The air pollution level at the busy Anand Vihar road side on Tuesday. The DPCC

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Lack of funds: Officials say they have not received funding for stormwater drains in north Chennai because JICA has spent money on development of Metrorail. File | Photo Credit: G. Krishnaswamy

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities...stormwater-drain-projects/article20074683.ece

₹1,407-crore project to develop 370 km of stormwater drains in 11,146 hectares in the southern parts of the city.

As a result, work on development of stormwater drains may not begin in Pallikaranai, Sholinganallur, Narayanapuram, Ram Nagar and areas along South Buckingham Canal even after the northeast monsoon.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Environment and Forests
11-November, 2017 17:15 IST
“Air Quality Improving, People Need not Panic”: Dr. Harsh Vardhan

‘Implement Graded Response Action Plan Earnestly and Meticulously’, Says Environment Minister

Emphasising that air quality has been improving over the last two days, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that the people of Delhi need not panic, as several steps are being taken by the Government to mitigate air pollution. Speaking to mediapersons here today, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) must be earnestly and meticulously implemented by the concerned State Governments, as well as municipal and civic organisations. He added that focussed attention at the highest level has been ensured through committees headed by the Union Minister, Minister of State, MoEF&CC and Secretary, MoEF&CC. Dr. Harsh Vardhan referred to the review meetings with concerned State Governments and agencies and said that crop residue and stubble burning have been under detailed discussions during all these meetings.

The Environment Minister pointed out that for the first time, this year, a focussed approach has been adopted to deal with emergency-like situation through GRAP, which had been prepared last year. He added that a Task Force has been set up to review the air quality in Delhi-NCR headed by Member Secretary, Central Pollution Control Board well in advance. Dr. Harsh Vardhan also underlined the augmenting of the number of monitoring stations in Delhi-NCR to enhance the quality of information system.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan stressed the fact that as a part of advance planning and special intervention, 40 monitoring teams of CPCB have been deployed since September 1, 2017 to give feedback on the ground situation and air polluting activities in Delhi. ‘A systemic response mechanism was put in place for the last one year and regular alerts were conveyed to all stakeholders’, the Minister said.

Earlier, with a view to ensure wider public participation, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has launched campaigns such as “Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali” and “Swachh Hawa for Swacchh and Swasth Bharat” involving over 2000 schools in Delhi and over two lakh schools in the country. A mini-Marathon had also been organised on October 15, 2017 at India Gate, in which nearly 15, 000 school children had participated.

Additionally, special focus has been trained on monitoring the situation at specific hotspots such as Anand Vihar, I.T.O, Punjabi Bagh and DTU. Specific interventions have been suggested from time to time, as well as various directions have also been issued to implementation agencies such as state governments, district administration, police authorities, municipal corporations and industries for effective actions to curb air pollution.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan emphasised that in view of the recent episode of very high levels of air pollution, the following actions have been initiated in the Delhi-NCR region:

• Activated close co-ordination with the concerned Ministries/State governments and departments.
• A committee headed by the Secretary, MoEF&CC comprising Secretary, Science & Technology, Secretary, Earth Sciences, Secretary, Biotechnology, Chairman, CPCB, representatives of Niti Aayog and NDMA has been constituted to review the present situation and suggest immediate, as well as long-term measures.
• A meeting of the Central Committee chaired by Secretary, MoEF&CC, comprising Chief Secretaries of concerned State governments of NCR and Chairman, CPCB convened to deliberate on effective measures under GRAP.
• Meeting with EPCA and CPCB was held to improve upon effectiveness of enforcement mechanism and to ensure coordinated approach of various agencies.
• Meeting has been held at the level of Lt. Governor, Delhi for better coordination among all agencies within Delhi for effective ground actions.

The Environment Minister added that some of the immediate short-term measures initiated include:

• Ban on diesel gen-sets, brick kilns, stone crushers, hot mix plants as per GRAP is being effectively enforced;
• Ban on entry of trucks with non-essential supplies to Delhi is being strictly enforced.
• Enhanced parking fee and capacity augmentation of public transport. Metro has increased its frequency and number of coaches by 25%.
• Civil construction activities have been stopped for the moment.
• Watering over unpaved roads to contain road dust is being carried out on a large scale. Fire tenders, water tankers of corporations have been pressed into service for sprinkling water.
• Regulated emission from industries in NCR region advised the State governments to issue directions to the concerned authorities.
• Impose fines on defaulters through Municipal Corporations/State Pollution Control Boards and other organisations.
• Enforce ban on garbage burning.

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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Shipping
13-November, 2017 16:24 IST
Inland Waterways Authority of India pushes for early completion of Jal Marg Vikas Project on Ganga

Hires expert technical support for projects at Haldia and Farakka

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has awarded a contract to a reputed consultant for technical support services for the Multi-Modal Terminal at Haldia and new Navigation Lock at Farakka. These projects are part of the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) on National Waterway -I (River Ganga), being implemented with technical and financial assistance of the World Bank at an estimated cost of Rs. 5369 Crore. The objective of this is to ensure adherence to timelines and budgeted costs of the project and full compliance with the other stated guidelines.

The consultants will ensure efficient management of the two EPC contracts awarded by IWAI under the JMVP. They will provide comprehensive project technical support, including day to day supervision, proof checking of design, quality and safety parameters and coordination and management with all stakeholders. The Contractor will also monitor the implementation of Environment Management Plan and Social Impact Management Plan.

The Jal Marg Vikas Project seeks to facilitate plying of vessels with capacity of 1500-2000 tons in the Haldia-Varanasi stretch of the River Ganga. The major works being taken up under JMVP are development of fairway, Multi-Modal Terminals, strengthening of river navigation system, conservancy works, modern River Information System (RIS), Digital Global Positioning System (DGPS), night navigation facilities, modern methods of channel marking etc.

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[Hindustani78]

By: PTI | New Delhi | Published:November 13, 2017 7:53 pm

The NGT had slammed the DDA for casting aspersions on the findings of its expert committee on the damage caused to the Yamuna floodplains due to this cultural event.

http://indianexpress.com/article/in...ain-damage-in-aol-fest-art-of-living-sri-sri/

The NGT had slammed the DDA for casting aspersions on the findings of its expert committee on the damage caused to the Yamuna floodplains due to this cultural event.


The National Green Tribunal on Monday reserved its verdict on the issue of damage caused to the Yamuna floodplains where a cultural extravaganza was organised last year by the Art of Living. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar heard the submissions of all concerned parties, including the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, which said that as per a 2006 environment impact assessment report, no environmental clearance was needed for the festival.

It heard the arguments of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and spiritual guru Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living (AOL).

“Heard. Arguments concluded. Counsel for respondent 3 (AOL) has been permitted to make submission for recapitulation of points recorded earlier. Judgement reserved,” the bench said.

During the proceedings, the counsel for applicant Manoj Misra argued that severe damage has been done to the river and it must be restored by the concerned authorities.

The counsel for the DDA informed the bench that it has plans for Yamuna riverbed beautification, afforestation, development of wetland and ecological restoration, adding that it would need 7-8 months for the tendering process for the two phases of Yamuna Floodplain Development Programme.

Earlier, the AOL foundation had questioned the findings of an expert committee of the NGT on the damage caused to the Yamuna floodplains after its 3-day cultural event.

The expert panel had told the NGT that a whopping Rs 42.02 crore would be required to restore Yamuna floodplains which was ravaged due to the cultural extravaganza held from March 11-13, 2016.

The NGT had slammed the DDA for casting aspersions on the findings of its expert committee on the damage caused to the Yamuna floodplains due to this cultural event.

The green panel had questioned the DDA for granting nod to AOL, despite three initial rejections and said the civic body should have exercised proper caution while granting approval to the cultural extravaganza.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Environment and Forests
14-November, 2017 16:41 IST
“Weather Condition Improving, Particulate Matter Level Declining”: Dr. Harsh Vardhan

Environment Minister Appreciates Discipline Shown by Public

Union Minister for Environment Forest and Climate Change, Science & Technology & Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan has said today that on account of pollution control measures and slight improvement in weather conditions, the declining trend in PM levels which started in the afternoon of November 12, 2017 continues even today and Delhi and NCR have now moved from emergency level to severe category of PM levels with PM10 being 392 µg/m3 and PM2.5 being 262 µg/m3 at 1300 hrs today. Appreciating the discipline shown by the public in general, Dr. Harsh Vardhan added that this has largely been achieved due to efforts of various government agencies and public participation based on voluntary actions.

He further added that the IMD has predicted that weather conditions are likely to become more favourable for dispersal of pollutants over next 2-3 days and hence, air quality is expected to improve further. During the Task Force Meeting held at CPCB on November 13, 2017, the measures taken by the SPCBs were reviewed and they were requested to intensify the actions against violators, especially in industrial and the construction sectors, added Dr Harsh Vardhan.

“At this juncture, while all government agencies have to maintain highest level of alertness and continue intense efforts at checking pollution, I would like to appeal to all citizens in Delhi & NCR to continue the good work and help us with achieving better levels of air quality”, added Dr Harsh Vardhan.

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[Hindustani78]

The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari lighting the lamp to inaugurate the stall of the National Mission for Clean Ganga, at the 37th India International Trade Fair (IITF), at Pragati Maidan, in New Delhi on November 15, 2017.

The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari visiting the stall of the National Mission for Clean Ganga, at the 37th India International Trade Fair (IITF), at Pragati Maidan, in New Delhi on November 15, 2017.

The Minister of State for Human Resource Development and Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Dr. Satya Pal Singh visiting the Pavilion of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, at the 37th India International Trade Fair (IITF), at Pragati Maidan, in New Delhi on November 15, 2017.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities...ty-improves/article20467644.ece?homepage=true

A municipal worker sweeps the pavement in New Delhi on Thursday. | Photo Credit: V. Sudershan


However, measures enforced under Graded Response Action Plan’s ‘severe’ category, including closure of Badarpur thermal power plant, ban on brick kilns, hot mix plants and stone crushers will remain, says environment authority.

The Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), mandated by the Supreme Court, on Thursday withdrew the ban on construction activities and entry of trucks and the levy of enhanced parking fees from across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), as air quality remained out of the ‘emergency’ category for the second straight day.

The measures, part of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), were enforced on November 8 after the pollution levels spiked, hitting the emergency category, accompanied by thick smog.

EPCA chairperson Bhure Lal wrote to the Chief Secretaries of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana on Thursday, directing them to lift the measures with “immediate effect” as the prevailing air quality does not warrant such tough action.

However, the measures enforced under the GRAP’s ‘severe’ category, including the closure of the Badarpur thermal power plant, ban on brick kilns, hot mix plants and stone crushers would remain, the EPCA said.

“We are watching the situation very carefully and we have been informed by the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology that pollution may rise again because of increased moisture in the air in the coming days. However, if the conditions continue to improve and air quality stabilises, we will review the measures under the ’Severe’ category and inform you accordingly,” Mr. Bhure Lal wrote.

 

[Hindustani78]

The Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri Parameswaran Iyer offering shramdaan for toilet construction, on the eve of World Toilet Day, at Turkauliya village, in East Champaran district of Bihar on November 18, 2017.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Water Resources
07-December, 2017 18:37 IST
Business leaders commit support of nearly Rs 500 crores for Namami Gange Mission following appeal by Shri Nitin Gadkari

Captains of Indian trade and industry have committed a support of nearly Rs 500 crores for the development of amenities like ghats, river fronts, crematoria and parks at various places along River Ganga as part of the Namami Gange Mission. Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Road Transport & Highways and Shipping interacted with business leaders in Mumbai today, and appealed to them to participate in the mission to clean Ganga . The interaction was organized by the National Mission for Clean Ganga .

Speaking on the occasion Shri Gadkari emphasised that cleaning the Ganga should become a peoples movement .He informed that a lot of private individuals from across the world have pledged support for cleaning Ganga and have donated generously . He also said that strict laws will be brought in to check pollution of the river .

The support from the business community in Mumbai follows closely after similar success in London last week where Indian corporates committed overwhelming support for Namami Gange Mission after an interaction with Shri Gadkari at a road show organized by NMCG.

Private funding is being sought for projects worth over Rs 2500 crore for development of ghats, crematoria, waterbodies, parks, sanitation facilities, public amenities and river front. An indicative list of these projects have been published as a booklet and are also available on the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) website as an e- booklet . The Government is appealing to the business community to participate in the Namami Gange Mission to clean the river by funding projects of their choice.

At the interaction with business leaders in Mumbai Shri Gadkari outlined the implementation of the ‘Namami Gange’ programme for rejuvenation of the river Ganga and its tributaries, which has been divided into three levels. The short term activities for immediate visible impact include river surface cleaning and modernization of ghats and crematoria .The medium term activities to be implemented within five years include municipal sewage management ,biodiversity conservation, afforestation, Ganga gram, industrial effluent management , water quality monitoring and rural sanitation. Long term activities to be implemented within ten years include adequate flow of water, improved efficiency of surface irrigation and increased water use efficiency .

Shri Satyapal Singh, Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation said that for Indians Ganga is not just a river, it is a civilization in flow. For Indians river Ganga has always represented the most significant scared river, with many religious centres having developed on its banks. Water as one of the tatvas is symbolically associated with creation, dissolution, fertility and cleansing and is inherent in the larger Indian cultural ethos.

Shri U.P Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources said that the vision of Ganga rejuvenation constitutes restoring the wholesomeness of the river in terms of ensuring continuous and unpolluted flow and geological and ecological integrity. He informed that 113 ghats and 52 crematoria are under various stages of progress at a cost of Rs 626.57 crores. 84 ghats in Varanasi will be cleaned up at a cost of Rs 5 crores per year . All villages near Ganga have been declared Open Defecation free . Trash skimmers have been deployed in 11 cities to collect all kinds of floating waste materials to clean the Ganga river surface .

The Government of India, through Namami Gange Programme announced in 2014, has given a much needed thrust to restoring the wholesomeness of the river by allocating resources of about Rs.20,000 crores and has adopted an integrated Ganga Rejuvenation approach addressing various aspects. The National Mission for Clean Ganga ( NMCG) has sanctioned projects worth about Rs.17,000 crore for Sewerage Management, Industrial Effluents Managements, Biodiversity Conservation, Solid Waste Management, Afforestation , Rural Sanitation, River Front Management, Capacity Building, Development/ Rehabilitation’ of Ghats& Crematoria etc. and above all a Communication & Public campaign to make ‘Ganga Rejuvenation’ a public movement.

However, the task of rejuvenating river Ganga, associated with 43% of the country’s population and its critical religious, spiritual, cultural and historical significance, assumes a gigantic proportion and cannot be achieved by governmental efforts alone. It requires wholehearted involvement and support from all Indians, cutting across society, for whom Ganga is important not only as an unending source of nourishment, but as part and parcel of a rich and timeless culture and tradition.

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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Environment and Forests
12-December, 2017 19:14 IST
Dr. Harsh Vardhan chairs meeting to tackle Air Pollution in Delhi-NCR

Emphasising that tackling pollution is a collective responsibility of all the stakeholders and that cooperation from all is required, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan has expressed confidence that pollution will be tackled in a holistic manner next year. Chairing a meeting on the issue of tackling air pollution here today, Dr. Harsh Vardhan reiterated that the practice of holding regular meetings with the Ministers of National Capital Region (NCR), to ensure that all the activities on the ground are monitored closely, will be continued.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan chairing the meeting to tackle the issue of air pollution

Chief Minister of Delhi, Shri Arvind Kejriwal, said that all sources that have been identified will be tackled to ensure that mitigation of air pollution is done effectively in Delhi. He added that the Government of Delhi will work closely with all agencies in tackling pollution.

The meeting noted that the air quality in 2017 was better than the air quality in 2016. The number of good, moderate and satisfactory days in 2017 were 151, whereas the same were 109 days in 2016. Similarly, the number of very poor, poor and severe days in 2017 are 181, as compared to 214 days in 2016.

Some of the decisions taken at the meeting include –

Strict measures to be taken for controlling dust pollution. Dust from major construction sites will be monitored closely and any violation will be dealt with strictly. Mechanized sweeping will be taken up on a large scale. All possible assistance will be provided to the MCDs by the Central Government for increasing the scope of mechanized sweeping;

Fire from municipal solid waste dump sites will be tackled in an urgent manner. Innovative approaches, in consultation with Department of Science and Technology, will be adopted at the earliest to ensure that the issue of pollution is tackled;

It was noted that the Task Force Committee headed by Principal Secretary to Prime Minister is examining the issue of stubble burning. It was further noted that an action plan to address this issue will be ready in the next one month;

It was decided that the decision regarding ban on petcoke and furnace oil will be strictly enforced in all the NCR states;

Delhi Police will be requested to tackle the issue of traffic congestion and parking in Delhi;

All steps will be taken to increase availability of public transport in the medium term.


The Pollution Control Boards will work in a proactive manner to ensure that violators are dealt with strictly. They will also ensure that awareness is created among the people. It was also decided that IEC activities to increase awareness and seeking cooperation from the general public will be taken up in a big way.

A special “Anti Pollution Drive” will be launched in the month of January, 2018 for 15 days, wherein there will be concerted action to tackle the issue of air pollution by all the agencies; and Close interaction to be maintained with Science and Technology institutions to use innovative technologies available to tackle air pollution.


Today’s meeting was attended by Chief Minister of Delhi, Shri Arvind Kejriwal, Minister for PWD, Government of Delhi, Shri Satendra Jain, Minister for Environment, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Dara Singh Chauhan, Environment Minister, Government of Haryana, Shri Vipul Goyal and Secretary, Environment, Government of Rajasthan and Chairman, Pollution Control Board, Government of Punjab and senior officers from Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and MoEF&CC as well as CPCB.


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[Hindustani78]

Grave concern: Clothes, plastic sheets and garbage seen littering Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar .

NEW DELHI, December 15, 2017 22:52 IST
Updated: December 15, 2017 22:52 IST

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...-save-ganga/article21726431.ece?homepage=true

Green panel imposes ₹5,000 fine on violators

Reiterating its previous orders, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday imposed a ban on plastic items, including plastic bags and cutlery, in Haridwar and Rishikesh.

Further, the bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar banned the sale, manufacture and storage of all such plastic items, till Uttarkashi. The green panel specified that the ban would be applicable to towns in Uttarakhand, along river Ganga and its tributaries.

The Tribunal said a fine of ₹5,000 would be imposed on those violating the order. Action would be taken against erring officials as well.

‘Complete prohibition’

In a judgment passed in 2015, the NGT had observed: “Plastic waste and other municipal waste is being thrown directly into river Ganga and its banks are full of such waste. There is no proper system for collection, segregation and disposal of municipal solid waste in the entire city of Haridwar.” said: In a bid to check further pollution of the river, the green panel had imposed a ban on the use of plastic. “There shall be complete prohibition of use of plastic in the entire city of Haridwar and Rishikesh and particularly on the banks and flood plain of river Ganga. Plastic will not be used for any purpose whatsoever, that is serving food, commodities, packaging or even carrying the plastic in that area.” the bench had said.

As part of the project to clean the river, the bench had held, “Under no circumstances, plastic carry bags of any thickness whatsoever would be permitted. The procurement, storing and sale of such plastic bags, plates, glass, spoons are hereby prohibited.”

Further, the Tribunal had also prohibited the authorities from throwing municipal waste, construction and demolition waste into Ganga and its tributaries.

The green panel passed the directions while hearing a plea filed by environmentalist M.C. Mehta, and observed that despite previous orders passed by the Tribunal, plastic was still being used, which in turn was polluting the river.

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http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/new-400-cr-effluent-treatment-plant-to-come-up-in-kanpur/article21713861.ece

NEW DELHI:, December 15, 2017 21:03 IST
Updated: December 15, 2017 23:17 IST

Junking Uttar Pradesh government’s proposal to displace Kanpur’s tanneries, the Union water resources ministry has decided to commission a common effluent treatment plant there to address pollution from tanneries, said to be the biggest source of industrial pollution to the Ganga.

There is already such a treatment plant in the city. However, it can at most treat 9 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage and this was based on sewage calculations of 1986. “The old plant will be junked and a new one, costing about ₹400 crore, will be commissioned,” said U.P. Singh, water resources secretary who is also in charge of the National Mission for Clean Ganga. “75% of the cost will be borne by us but operation and maintenance will be the responsibility of the tannery association.” The proposed plant will be able to treat about 20 MLD of industrial waste.

Earlier this year, the Uttar Pradesh government had said that all tanneries would be shifted to a new location away from the Ganga and new land had been identified for the purpose. “We’ve deliberated on that for sometime…what we’ve decided is to use the technology in the existing plant (9 MLD), of filtration technology, but make it bigger and not have any relocation,” Mr. Singh added.

The tannery clusters at Jajmau — a Kanpur suburb — employ over two million people and for long, tannery managers have argued that the new-technology effluent treatment plants are expensive.

The Central Pollution Control Board had informed the NGT that the Ganga, running 543 km between Haridwar and Kanpur, was affected by 1,072 seriously polluting industries that were releasing heavy metals and pesticides. At present, 823.1 MLD of untreated sewage and 212.42 MLD of industrial effluent flow into the river, while three of the four monitored sewage treatment plants do not comply with the set standards.