Context
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that more than half of the Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) in Uttar Pradesh are violating environmental norms, contributing heavily to Ganga river pollution.
Key Findings (CPCB Report)
- Scale of Non-Compliance:
- Out of 1,370 GPIs inspected, reports were prepared for 858 operational units.
- 415 units (48%) found non-compliant.
- Treatment Facilities in U.P.:
- 50 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs).
- 8 Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs).
- Many industries lack or bypass treatment facilities.
- Judicial Oversight:
- July 2022 – Allahabad High Court directed CPCB to test samples and enforce strict action.
- Monitoring Gaps:
- Of 512 non-operational units, 8 were still found running, exposing weak regulatory oversight.
Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs)
- Definition: Industries generating large volumes of wastewater with toxic pollutants.
- Examples: Tanneries, pulp & paper mills, sugar industries, textile dyeing, chemical factories.
- Legal Requirement: Must install Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) and comply with discharge norms under environmental laws.
Environmental & Social Impact
- On Ganga:
- Industrial effluents with heavy metals, dyes, organic waste.
- Oxygen depletion → aquatic ecosystem stress.
- Public Health:
- Contaminated water enters drinking water & irrigation.
- Causes waterborne diseases in nearby populations.
- Ecological Damage:
- Loss of aquatic biodiversity.
- Threat to Ganga river dolphin (Platanista gangetica), India’s National Aquatic Animal.
Government Schemes & Legal Measures
- Namami Gange Programme (2014):
- Focus on STPs, ETPs, riverfront development, biodiversity protection.
- National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG):
- Executes conservation policies, coordinates central–state efforts.
- Legal Framework:
- Water Act, 1974 – control of water pollution.
- Environment Protection Act, 1986 – empowers CPCB/SPCBs.
- NGT oversight for compliance.