Subscribe
The Supreme Court has directed the governments of Punjab and Haryana to take concrete steps to resolve the problem of floods due to the overflowing of river Ghaggar.
Every state government should consider the public interest above politics, the Supreme Court said November 15, 2022.
“Common man is not interested in meetings but is interested in finding out the solution,” said a bench led by MR Shah.
The court directed these governments to prepare a detailed project report in line with the recommendations of the final model study report by Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune.
The court had asked these governments to act on the same in its previous orders.
But the states failed to implement the orders. “It is very unfortunate that despite the aforesaid specific directions, the respective states have not responded in true spirit,” the court had said.
The river’s annual flooding has impacted farmlands and properties in more than 25 villages in the two states.
The NGT slapped a compensation of Rs 10 crore on two municipal bodies in Haryana for illegally dumping waste at Jhuriwala dumping ground.
The tribunal imposed Rs nine crore on Panchkula municipal corporation and Rs one crore on Kalka municipal council.
The amount must be deposited within one month with the district magistrate of Panchkula. It should be used to reverse the damage inflicted on the environment, the tribunal directed.
The NGT had constituted a joint committee January 21 this year. Leachate mixed with the storm water that joined the Ghaggar. Testing of samples showed that the water was contaminated, the committee had reported.
The NGT has ordered the authorities to seal all illegal borewells in Noida. The tribunal has also imposed penalties on the builders. It was responding to an application concerning the illegal extraction of groundwater by builders in Noida November 15.
“The authorities have failed to prevent illegal extraction of ground water for commercial purposes, resulting in depletion of groundwater,” the petitioner alleged.
The NGT also directed the authorities to regulate the use of potable water and augment the availability of the same.