S.C. notice to Delhi Govt.

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI, APRIL. 28. The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Chief Secretary, Delhi Government to show cause why fine should not be imposed for non-compliance of its earlier orders to make the Yamuna river free from pollution.

A Bench comprising Mr. Justice B. N. Kirpal and Mr. Justice S. S. M. Quadri issued the notice returnable by May 11 and said if it was shown to the court that there was significant improvement in the river water, perhaps a lenient view could be taken.

The Court which had taken suo motu notice of the growing pollution of Yamuna water following a news report in a national daily, asked the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to file a report by May 11 on the quality of the Yamuna water giving the level of various pollutants.

The Bench after perusing the latest report of the CPCB on the quality of Yamuna water said the situation was still very grim. When it was submitted by the Delhi Government that there was significant improvement in the quality of water, the Bench said even if there was an improvement, the quality of water at the point of exit in Delhi was beyond the permissible limits. The court said the two main reasons for the rapid deterioration of quality of the Yamuna water at the entry and exit points, were discharge of domestic and industrial effluents into the river.

In this context, the Bench said that several orders had been passed from 1995 directing that domestic and industrial effluents should be treated before their discharge into the river and sewerage treatment plants should be established for that purpose. Out of the 14 such plants planned, only eight were completed, of which four were functioning. As a result out of a total discharge of 600 million gallons per day, only 202 million gallons per day was being treated. There was no reason why the stipulated sewerage treatments plants were not installed and make them functional, the court said.

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