Guwahati: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken a decisive step to tackle the nationwide issue of groundwater contamination, issuing notices to 24 states and 4 Union Territories which also includes Assam and Meghalaya.
This follows reports of alarmingly high arsenic and fluoride levels, posing a serious threat to public health.
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The NGT bench, led by Justice Sudhir Agarwal and A Senthil Vel, termed it “very serious” and demanded “urgent preventive and protective steps.”
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The tribunal initiated proceedings based on media reports highlighting the presence of these contaminants exceeding permissible limits in numerous areas.
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Arsenic contamination has been identified in parts of 230 districts across 25 states, while fluoride affects specific areas in 469 districts of 27 states.
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The NGT criticized the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) for inaction, citing water as a state subject.
However, the NGT emphasized that this contradicts both a 1997 Supreme Court verdict and a 2022 tribunal order.
Expressing disappointment at the CGWA’s reluctance to fulfill its statutory duties, the NGT urged immediate action from all concerned authorities.
The issued notices were sent to 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.
The NGT has asked for detailed responses from the notified states and UTs within a month, with further proceedings scheduled for February 15, 2024.