Guwahati: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken proactive measures to address the critical issue of groundwater contamination by issuing notices to 24 states and four Union Territories.
The notices were served on December 27th, 2023, in response to reports indicating elevated levels of arsenic and fluoride in groundwater, posing a serious risk to public health.
The NGT bench, comprising Judicial Member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Expert Member A Senthil Vel, expressed grave concern over the situation, deeming it “very serious” and demanding “urgent preventive and protective steps.” The tribunal initiated proceedings based on its cognizance following media reports highlighting the presence of these contaminants exceeding permissible limits in various regions.
Arsenic was identified in parts of 230 districts across 25 states, while fluoride was detected in specific areas of 469 districts in 27 states. The NGT criticised the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), responsible for regulating groundwater resources, for not taking independent action, citing water as a state subject. This stance, however, contradicted both a 1997 Supreme Court verdict and a 2022 tribunal order, as emphasised by the NGT.
Expressing surprise and disappointment at the CGWA’s reluctance to fulfill its statutory responsibilities, the NGT underscored the immediate need for action from all concerned authorities. The states that received notices include Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.
Notices were also issued to the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Delhi, and Puducherry.
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Further proceedings on this matter are scheduled for February 15th, 2023, with the NGT expecting responses from the notified states and Union Territories within a month.
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