NEW DELHI: National Green Tribunal today stopped the Government from spending “a single penny” for Ganga rejuvenation work between Haridwar and Unnao, saying a whopping Rs 20,000 crore was being spent on the entire national project by officials who did not even know about the river.
“Rs 20,000 crore is being spent on a national project without even knowing about the river. Nobody knows anything, this is quite irresponsible. Not a single penny on Ganga rejuvenation would be spent by any of the departments till we pass specific directions. Enough is enough,” a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.
The green panel said Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and Water Resources both were responsible for cleaning of Ganga and they cannot play “blame game” in discharging their duties, adding that Rs 20,000 crore is being spent on the project by officials without even knowing about the river.
“MoEF and Ministry of Water Resources are taking the NGT for granted. There is not even 1 per cent compliance of our orders. We had asked you about analysis of drains and quantum of effluents besides their quality. Not even a single query has been answered by either MoEF or the Ministry of Water Resources. You are running the whole country, but you don’t have the basic data,” the bench said.
The tribunal was irked over an affidavit filed by a scientist of the Environment Ministry which said that Ministry of Water Resources was the appropriate authority to reply to NGT’s queries on the Ganga. (AGENCIES)
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