NGT issues notice to State govt over pollution of Cauvery

The National Green Tribunal here has served notice to the Karnataka government on the issue related to Bengaluru’s sewage being let into its rivers and canals, including Cauvery.

When the case came up for hearing, an expert team led by Justice M Chockalingam asked the Chief Secretary of Karnataka, the Pollution Control Board chief and others concerned to give an explanation to the matter on or before July 28.

Petitioner K Sudhan, an advocate, claimed that many districts in Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, were dependent on Cauvery water for drinking purpose, and pollution was posing a danger to the people using the river water.

The petitioner also claimed that on a daily basis several lakh litres of Bengaluru’s sewage was let into Cauvery river, which comes to Tamil Nadu.

Even various political parties, including the Opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), asked the Tamil Nadu government to move the Supreme Court to stop Karnataka from polluting Cauvery.

DMK president M Karunanidhi said polluting the river with sewage was equivalent to mixing poison in drinking water. He claimed that agricultural production in Tamil Nadu, especially in the Cauvery belt, was severely affected due to pollution.

Political parties expressed concern over the recent remarks by Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi  in the Legislative Council that 148 crore litres of sewage was let into Tamil Nadu daily through its rivers and canals, including Akravathi and Cauvery.