State responsible to enforce right of citizens to clean water: NGT

The state has the responsibility to take remedial measures to enforce the right of the citizens to clean water, the National Green Tribunal has observed.

The NGT Principal Bench headed by its chairperson Justice Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel made this observation while hearing a plea about polluted groundwater at a village in Punjab's Sangrur district.

Insisting that it is the responsibility of the state to take remedial measures to enforce the right of the citizens to clean water, the NGT has formed a committee and directed it to submit a report on the status of groundwater in Aloarakh village, Block Bhiwanigarh, District Sangrur in Punjab.

A plea was made to the NGT against failure to take remedial measures against contamination of groundwater in the village.

The applicant referred to the media report stating that the groundwater is contaminated and coloured water is coming out of the tubewells which has the potential to impact public health.

Hearing the plea, the NGT also noted that the problem has been existing for more than 10 years and according to the state pollution control board, a private factory that was closed 15 years ago, is responsible for the contamination.

It is also reported that this tribunal had imposed compensation of Rs two crore on the said factory for restoration of the environment but the amount was not recovered, the bench noted.

"If the report is correct, polluted water has the potential for adversely affecting the inhabitants. In such a situation, it is the responsibility of the State to take remedial measures to enforce the right of the citizens to clean water," the bench said.

(With inputs from PTI)

Check out DH's latest videos: