Ganga River Pollution And The Kumbh Mela
Author: LawSphereX
Category: Environmental Law
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GANGA RIVER POLLUTION AND THE KUMBH MELA
Aishwarya. K, LL. M. , Dr. Ambedkar Law College, Pudupakkam, Chennai Ashif Mohamed. M- Practising Advocate, Madurai GANGA AND ITS HOLINESS: Ganga River was considered to be its holiness as it is strongly believed that “One who has drunk its pure water would indeed obtain the highest abode”. It is believed that river Ganga is considered in some extent as even goddess and many people from different parts of the country just come to cleanse and absolve their sins by getting a dip in the river Ganga. Not just about spiritually even environmentally speaking it is life-giving and life sustaining in respect of ecological concerns. The largest river basin that supports 43% of total India’s population. Out of India’s total river pollution renewable water availability of 1,869 Km3/yr, the national river Ganga Basin’s share is 525 Km3/yr.
Passing through five states, the Ganga covers 26 per cent of the country’s landmass. Despite the enormous amounts of money spent on cleaning it, the river continues to run polluted. Worse, the pollution is increasing even in stretches that were earlier considered clean. 1 IDENTIFYING GANGA RIVER POLLUTION: Domestic sewage is the major cause of pollution in the river. The primary case concerning river Ganga was the discharge of trade effluents into the drains which were dumped finally into the river ganga. In the analyses of the trade effluent it was found to be contaminating than the level prescribed. Based on this case GAP I and II post which National Ganga river basin authority along with other 39 industries which includes sugar industry were impleaded as respondents.
Other than a committee constituted to analyse this case, the expert members of the tribunal also visited the industries and found that the industries are polluting to a large extent and further found that they were operating without State Pollution Control Board’s prior permission, whereby this case was disposed in the year 2014 by imposing Rs. 5 crores upon all those industries additionally issued directions for prevention and control of pollution. In 2014,
1 M.C. Mehta Vs. Union of India, O.A. 200 (2014), National Green Tribunal.Principal Bench, New Delhi
Along with the reports of this case and M. C. Mehta case was transferred to the tribunal whereby the tribunal gave directions to the Central Pollution Control Board to segregate the industries as Seriously Polluting industries, Grossly polluting industries and not seriously polluting industries as red, orange and green to be displayed in the website.
2 Both the above cases were taken up together on 13th October, 2014 and on that day the Tribunal directed that the Special Committee constituted by the Tribunal and the State Boards of the concerned States shall take immediate steps to ensure that no industry which has not obtained or is operating without consent of the State Board and is polluting directly or indirectly river Ganga or its tributary should be permitted to operate by this very order invoking ‘Stakeholder Consultative Process in Adjudication’, the Tribunal directed a Chamber meeting to be held on 11th November, 2014 of the Secretary, Secretary of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation and Chief Secretaries 42 of all the above States for working out a comprehensive action Plan to clean river Ganga in terms of the orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.
In the order dated 17th November, 2014, the Tribunal referred to the various orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India as well as the fact that river Ganga is mainly polluted by two sources, one is industrial waste effluent and the other is domestic waste and sewage.
Having heard all the stakeholders and in view of the Chamber meeting dated 11th November, 2014, the Tribunal constituted 3 different Committees, that is, the Principal Committee consisting of senior most officer from the respective Ministries and the State Governments including Financial Advisor of the Ministry, Implementation Committee consisting of the Chief Secretary of concerned States and the Principal Secretaries of Department of Environment and the Boards and, lastly, the State Level Committee consisting of the Officers/Secretaries of the concerned Departments, Member Secretary of the concerned State Boards, representatives and Scientists including eminent Professors from reputed educational institutions in the field of environmental engineering and representative from NEERI were part of this Committee.
The Committee was required to examine the scope of Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) units and online monitoring system installations. The Committees were required to deal with all aspects of 43 installation of ETPs, drainage systems, finances and execution of the work. On 12th December, 2014, another Chamber meeting was held and views of all the concerned stakeholders were taken into consideration. In the meeting, very senior officers from both the Ministries, that is, MoEF&CC and Ministry of Water
2 Id.
Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Chief Secretary of the States, environmentalists and Expert Members were present. Even the CGWA was impleaded as a party and the various issues in relation to preservation and control of pollution in river Ganga were considered. There are no alternatives for this. It is clear that industries must be able to meet discharge standards that have been legally set in the country. In UP, records show that almost all industries inspected by the Central Pollution Control Board in 2013 are in breach of existing standards. It is time for tough action. 3 GANGA ACTION PLAN: As a serious concern of Ganga river pollution the important measure taken was the Ganga Action Plan which started in the year 1986 especially to control water pollution and to prevent further degradation of the holy river.
The important function under this Action plan was to clear the pollution of the river from the waste disposal deposited from areas associated at the banks of the river. The Central Pollution Control Board undertook measures stretched over a period of 5 years in that year, where in accordance with that Central Ganga Authority was created in the year 1985 to clear the pollution. In the initial phase of the action plan 256 schemes was undertaken in Uttar pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and also measures to check the water quality was made. Experts from Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, National Environment Engineering Research Institute were appointed for such purpose. Although so much of efforts was taken the initial phase incurred economical loss and the results were not as expected, whereby second phase was initiated in the year 2001.
Under the Ganga Rejuvenation Programme Namami Ganga Programme was started under the Central Water Ministry with the aim to clean and protect the river by incorporating socio-economic measures. 4 The major achievements of Namami Ganga projects are:
1. 200 sewerage treatment capacity projects among which 116 were successful.
2. 28 riverfront development projects were initiated.
3. River surface cleaning where the collection of solid waste on ghats and rivers were
3 Supra 1
4 Supra note 1
pumped into stations to be treated.
4. Several programmes, seminars,workshops and different forms of awareness measures
were taken to reach it to the public at large.
5. Continuous and frequent checks were made over the polluting industries to ensure they
follow the standards properly. 5 THE GAP THAT NEEDS TO BE BRIDGED: It is evident that there were several measures have been taken both at central and state level but inspite of that results have been slow. In order rectify these gaps it is necessary to devise a comprehensive plan, and to bring enforcement mechanism in a stringent way than laying only as a paper. It is also necessary to involve strategical plan of people at different fields including general public. Further the quality of water measurement should involve more scientific methods that needs to be constantly assessed, and the research undertaken in these areas should lead to practical and better machinery to keep the process of cleaning ahead. It also needs multidisciplinary approach involving various institutions to take part in the entire process of purifying the river Ganga.
It is to be noted that a separate fund called the Namami Gange fund was also established in this regard but it is also necessary to look into the weak areas that needs more financial concerns. 6 KUMBAH MELA: Kumbh Mela festival, the most celebrated in the river Ganga in Allahabad, created alarming pollution levels early this year in the month of January. Nearly around 100 million have took a bath during the entire festival period, and nearly 30 million have been expected to have taken a dip in the holy river. In spite of its being religious or secular front, it is also necessary to take a concern over the environmental aspect as well. The study undertaken by the researchers have been found that the level of chemicals that leads to contamination of river have been at a rise compared before the Kumbh mela event.
Study by researchers have fetched results that this act has serious concern in the long run. 7
5 Namami Gange Programme- At a glance, July 12, 2024, https://www.nmcg.nic.in
6 Ram Dutt, India Kumbh Mela raised Ganges river pollution, BBC Hindi, Jan 24, 2024, https://www.bbc.in. 7 Ram Dutt, India Kumbh Mela raised Ganges river pollution, BBC Hindi, Jan 24, 2024, https://www.bbc.in.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that inspite of the efforts taken by the Central Government, State Government, other functionaries like the Pollution Control Boards, it is also important on the part of the citizens at large to understand the importance of conserving nature. According to the Constitution of India, Article 48 A8 it is the duty of the State to Protect the environment, it also has other fold duty with the citizens under Article 51-A (g)9 where citizens are enshrined with the fundamental duty to protect the nature. Hence the festival of Kumbh Mela stresses a need for the citizens to understand the importance of protecting Holy river Ganga from river pollution.
8 Ind. Const. Art. 48 A
9 Ind. Const. Art.51-A (g)