NEW DELHI, May 14: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday directed 18 states, including Arunachal Pradesh, and two union territories (UT) to submit their action plans to ensure utilization of treated waste water to reduce pressure on the groundwater resources throughout the country.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed the states and the UTs to submit the action plans within three months to the Central Pollution Control Board.
The green panel said the states which have still not furnished their action plans are defaulters for violating the directions of the tribunal.
It noted that only nine states and five UTs have submitted their action plans.
“It is well known that absence of plan for reuse of treated water affects recharge of groundwater and also results in freshwater being used for purposes for which treated water can alternatively be used. Proper plans for reuse of waste water can add to availability of potable water,” the bench said.
“This being a substantial question of environment, direction is issued to the states/UTs which have not yet submitted their action plans to do so latest by 30 June, failing which the tribunal may have to consider coercive measures, including compensation for loss to the environment,” it said.
The plans may include a monitoring mechanism in the states for coordination with the local bodies, and this will be the responsibility of the chief secretaries of all the states and UTs.
Besides Arunachal Pradesh, the states and UTs which have not submitted action plans are Assam, Bihar, Dadar & Nagar Haveli, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Pondicherry, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. (PTI)
