The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday, has declared 100 meters area from the edge of the river Ganga as No Development Zone and recommended a Rs 50,000 fine on dumping waste into the holy river. A bench of NGT, headed by chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, in a slew of measures to clean up the Ganga river has directed authorities that dumping the waste within 500 meters from the edge of the Ganga river on the Haridwar-Unnao stretch will not be allowed.
In April, the Yogi Adinath-led UP government recommended shifting the leather factories of British era to Kanpur. UP govt told NGT that these leather units are a major source of pollution in the river. The NGT issued directions on these factories too that the factories which are located in Banther and Unnao will have to install plants that can recover chromium within four weeks time. So that no effluent can be discharged into the drains which at the end pour the river. These kind of Chromium recovery plants help in removing trivalent chromium from the waste water produced by these tanneries during the processing of animal hides.
NGT also directed the governments of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh to make some guidelines for the religious activities takes place on the Ghats of the holy river. NGT also said that it is UP government’s duty to shift leather factories from Jajmau to Unnao or any other place.Within four weeks. Within four weeks all the leather factories will have to set up anti-pollution devices and will be closed if failed to do the same.
