NGT panel seeks eport on Yamuna water quality

The NGT-appointed Yamuna Monitoring Committee has asked the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to prepare a report on the river's water quality citing data from the last five years to assess if there has been any improvement in it.

The National Green Tribunal has already tasked the DPCC with furnishing monthly reports on the river water quality.

The DPCC monitors the river water quality on a monthly basis through nine water quality monitoring stations.

"While the report required by the tribunal should be furnished, it will be desirable if the DPCC also prepares a comprehensive report based on monthly tests carried out at 9 stations and the trend analysis over the last five years," the panel told the pollution control body during a meeting on November 27.

"The DPCC has been directed to prepare a report giving month-wise quality parameters observed over the last five years so as to make an assessment whether there is an improvement in water quality," it said.

The report should be submitted before December 31 and should be based on sound professional and technical analysis and not on surmises and conjectures. The DPCC should also, while giving trend analysis, spell out reasons for changes in water quality, the NGT panel said.

The DPCC also informed the panel that 19 of the 33 sewage treatment plants run by the Delhi Jal Board do not meet permissible water quality standards.

On this, the panel directed DJB officials to personally visit the STPs in their jurisdiction, rectify deficiencies and submit a compliance report by December 10.

At the meeting, it also asked the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. to prepare an action plan to increase the use of treated wastewater.

The common effluent treatment plants of DSIIDC generate about 50-50 million litres of treated wastewater per day, of which only 2 MLD is being used.