8 months ago
NGT Addresses Pollution at Guwahati’s Deepor Beel
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) is very concerned about the pollution and damage happening at Deepor Beel, a special wetland in Guwahati.
The NGT started looking into this issue after reading a news report last year.
They found out that the water in Deepor Beel is very dirty and has harmful things like faecal coliform and faecal streptococci.
The Assam State Wetlands Authority was asked to fix these problems and report back.
The NGT also included the Guwahati Municipal Corporation in the case because they play a role in reducing pollution.
The next hearing is scheduled for March 23.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken serious note of environmental degradation at Deepor Beel, a Ramsar-listed wetland in Guwahati.
The NGT’s Eastern Zone Bench is hearing the matter suo motu based on a news report from April 22, 2023.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported that water quality parameters of Deepor Beel are beyond prescribed norms, indicating serious pollution.
The Assam State Wetlands Authority was granted four weeks to take remedial measures and submit a fresh status and action taken report.
The Guwahati Municipal Corporation was impleaded as a respondent to address urban pollution impacting the wetland.
- Who
- National Green Tribunal (NGT) Eastern Zone Bench, Assam Pollution Control Board (APCB), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Assam State Wetlands Authority, Guwahati Municipal Corporation
- What
- NGT has taken cognizance of environmental degradation at Deepor Beel, a Ramsar-listed wetland in Guwahati, and has directed the Assam State Wetlands Authority to take remedial measures.
- Where
- Deepor Beel, Guwahati, Assam, India
- When
- The matter was heard on January 18, 2024, with the next hearing scheduled for March 23, 2024.
- Why
- The CPCB report indicated that the water quality parameters of Deepor Beel were beyond prescribed norms, with the presence of faecal coliform and faecal streptococci, indicating serious pollution.
Key facts
- Location
- Guwahati, Assam, India
- Date of NGT Hearing
- January 18, 2024
- Date of CPCB Report
- July 18, 2023
- Date of Next Hearing
- March 23, 2024
- Key Pollutants
- Faecal coliform, faecal streptococci
- Respondents
- Assam Pollution Control Board, Guwahati Municipal Corporation
- NGT Bench Members
- Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Ishwar Singh
- Time for Remedial Measures
- Four weeks
Quotes
Dr. Amarjyoti Kashyap
Environmental scientist working in solid waste management
“The present practice of mixing plastic waste with biodegradable waste is ruining the entire solid waste management system and gradually converting open land into toxic zones.”
assamtribune.com
“There is no permanent dry or wet waste. These are conditions, not management categories. Policies based on such terms fail on the ground.”
assamtribune.com
