5 NE states among 24 issued notice on groundwater contamination
Guwahati: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken proactive steps to address the critical issue of land pollution by issuing notices to 24 states and four union territories.
These notices were issued on December 27, 2023 in response to reports indicating elevated levels of arsenic and fluoride in groundwater, posing a serious threat to public health.
An NGT bench comprising Judicial Member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Expert Member A Senthil Vel expressed deep concern over the situation, terming it “very serious” and calling for “immediate precautionary and preventive measures”.
The Tribunal initiated proceedings based on its cognizance following media reports highlighting the presence of these pollutants in excess of permissible limits in various areas.
Arsenic was identified in parts of 230 districts of 25 states, while fluoride was detected in specific areas of 469 districts of 27 states.
The NGT criticized the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), responsible for managing underground water resources, for not acting independently by defining water as a state subject.
This position, however, contradicts both the 1997 Supreme Court judgment and the 2022 Tribunal order, as emphasized by the NGT.
Expressing surprise and disappointment at the CGWA’s reluctance to fulfill its statutory responsibilities, the NGT underscored the immediate need for action from all concerned authorities.
The states that received notices include Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.
Notices were also issued to the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Delhi, and Puducherry.
Further proceedings on this matter are scheduled for February 15th, 2023, with the NGT expecting responses from the notified states and Union Territories within a month.
