The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday required a petitioner to provide evidence supporting allegations of open defecation at the Mahakumbh festival in Prayagraj due to insufficient bio-toilet facilities. The bench, led by NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel, addressed the plea that raised concerns about the lack of functional or clean bio-toilets, which purportedly forced lakhs of attendees to defecate openly along the banks of the river Ganga.
Filed on February 14, the petition included two video clips on a pen drive as the primary evidence; however, the tribunal noted these clips lacked geo-coordinates and had not been shared with the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB). The bench emphasized the urgency of the situation and the need for a thorough investigation by competent authorities to verify the facts on the ground.
In response, the counsel for the UPPCB stated that the board would investigate and take necessary action once the additional material was provided. The NGT directed the petitioner to submit all supporting evidence to the member secretary of the UPPCB. Upon receiving the evidence, the UPPCB is to conduct a spot inspection promptly to ascertain the validity of the allegations.
Should the claims be substantiated, the member secretary is instructed to implement immediate remedial measures and submit an action taken report within four weeks. Depending on the findings, the NGT may reconvene to consider further proceedings.
