River Ganga pollution: SC stays NGT order imposing Rs 50,000 cost on Bihar

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has stayed the National Green Tribunal order that imposed a cost of Rs 50,000 on the Bihar government for non-compliance of its directives and not properly assisting it in a matter relating to the prevention and control of pollution of river Ganga.

In its order passed on October 15 last year, the tribunal had also directed Bihar's chief secretary to remain present before it virtually to apprise it about the progress made for the prevention and control of pollution in river Ganga.

The state government's plea challenging the tribunal's order came up for a hearing before a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih.

The bench issued notice to the Centre and others seeking their responses on the plea within four weeks.

"Until further orders, there shall be stay of the impugned order," the bench said in its order passed on Friday.

The tribunal is considering the issue of prevention and control of pollution of river Ganga and the matter is being taken up state-wise, covering all the states and districts from which the river and its tributaries flow.

The tribunal had noted in its order that it had earlier considered the issue of water quality of river Ganga and its tributaries in Bihar.

It had directed the state authorities to submit water sample analysis report by taking samples at the point where the tributary merges with river Ganga and also at the point of entry and exit of the river in Bihar.

"The above directions have not been complied with, and no report by the state of Bihar or all the districts of the state of Bihar from which river Ganga and its tributaries are flowing has been filed till now," the tribunal had said in its October last year order.

It had directed the state's chief secretary to remain virtually present on the next date to apprise the tribunal about the progress made for prevention and control of pollution of river Ganga and compliance of the directions contained in the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order 2016.