State NGT takes suo moto cognizance of Excelsior editorial
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, May 11: Taking suo moto cognizance of the Excelsior editorial drawing attention towards dumping of Municipal waste, solid waste and other types of garbage into the holy Devika river at Purmandal, State Level Committee of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has called status report in regard to the implementation of Solid Waste Management Rules in Samba district from the concerned Deputy Commissioner .
As per the order in this regard, the status report should reach the office of the Chairman NGT, State Level Committee, Justice (Retd) Janak Raj Kotwal, on or before May 25, 2019, when the matter shall come up for further consideration.
Calling status report in terms of Rule 12 of Solid Waste Management Rules and the order dated 16-01-2019, passed by the National Green Tribunal on O.A number 606/2018, the NGT SLC observed that the editorial indicates that the rules are being flagrantly violated and abused by dumping of solid waste and other types of garbage into Devika river at Purmandal.
“The editorial inter alia casts serious aspersion on the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 in district Samba and indicates that the rules are being flagrantly violated and abused by dumping of Municipal waste, solid waste and other types of garbage into the holy Devika river at Purmandal,” observes the NGT SLC while quoting the Excelsior editorial, dated May 1, 2019.
In the editorial, the Excelsior had highlighted how anti-ecological measures vis-à-vis instances of unauthorized constructions just nearby and direct discharge of waste there from coupled with encroachments, extraction of mineral, cremations at spots willfully chosen, dumping of municipal waste, solid waste and other types of garbage into the river have all resulted in the present scenario and the mess this river has been reduced to.
Earlier, the Excelsior had carried an exclusive news on the latest analysis carried out by the J&K State Pollution Control Board, which revealed that water quality of River Devika in Purmandal is deteriorating at an alarming rate because of varied reasons cautioning that if the prevailing scenario is further allowed the holy river will lose its sanctity in the coming years.
Following sanctioning of water quality monitoring station at Purmandal under National Water Quality Monitoring Programme of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the State Pollution Control Board had set into motion an exercise to analyze the quality of water of Devika River. Accordingly, the scientists of Pollution Control Board collected samples-one from the gate of main temple and another from hand pump installed at 50 meters downstream to access the water quality in comparison to the desired parameters.
The detailed analysis of samples brought to the fore shocking scenario as all the critical parameters for surface water bodies were found much beyond the standard limits assigned for classification of river water quality under Designated Best Use (DBU), sources informed.
As per the standard parameters, the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) should be less than two milligrams per litre but the same in respect of Devika River was found more than two milligrams per litre. Similarly, Chemical Oxygen Demand should be less than 9 mg per litre but the same is over 10.5 mg per litre in respect of Devika River at Purmandal. Moreover, at several places the colour of water was found yellowish besides emanating foul smell. The outcome of analysis clearly revealed that quality of water of river of faith is deteriorating at an alarming rate.
Listing the main reasons behind deterioration in quality of Devika water at Purmandal as direct discharge of wastes from nearby establishments, encroachment of river, cremations at undesignated locations within the river bed particularly in front of gate of main temple and extraction of minor minerals etc, the PCB report had also made several recommendations, which include; advising the District Magistrate Samba to issue necessary directions to prohibit the cremation of dead bodies in River Devika, asking the Surinsar-Mansar Development Authority and Directorate of Urban Local Bodies to ensure that local establishments don’t discharge the sewage/liquid waste into river without any treatment, check encroachments so that natural river course may not get disturbed and check extraction of minor minerals from the river at both sides to avoid soil erosion.
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