The Supreme Court has issued a stay on the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) order which had imposed a Rs 50,000 fine on the Bihar government for its failure to comply with directives aimed at preventing and controlling pollution in the River Ganga. The NGT had also required the attendance of Bihar’s chief secretary to report on the state’s progress in this matter.
The order to stay the NGT’s decision was issued by a bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih, who also sought responses from the Centre and other relevant parties within four weeks. The court stated, “Until further orders, there shall be a stay of the impugned order,” during the proceedings held on Friday.
This judicial intervention comes in response to a plea from the Bihar government challenging the NGT’s earlier decision from October 15 last year, which criticized the state for not submitting required water sample analysis reports. These reports were crucial for assessing the water quality of the River Ganga and its tributaries, particularly at points where tributaries merge with the main river and where the river enters and exits Bihar.
The NGT has been actively monitoring the issue of Ganga pollution, addressing it on a state-by-state basis. This includes overseeing the implementation of the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection, and Management) Authorities Order 2016, which mandates comprehensive measures for the river’s restoration and preservation.
The NGT’s directives had specifically called for updated progress reports and adherence to pollution control measures from all states through which the Ganga and its tributaries flow. However, the Bihar government’s alleged non-compliance led to the NGT’s imposition of the fine and the requirement for high-level state representation at tribunal hearings.
