NGT seeks reports on sewage dumping in Cooum River
Citing a news report of a private tanker discharging sewage from Mogappair bridge, the NGT observed that Rs. 735 crore has been spent since 2015 by the Chennai River Restoration Trust
Sewage, rubbish has been dumped into Cooum river (file picture)
CHENNAI: The Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (Metrowater) and other agencies to file their reports on sewage dumping in the Cooum River.
Moreover, the Principal Bench also instructed the Southern Bench in Chennai to hear a suo motu case pertaining to the issue.
Citing a news report of a private tanker discharging sewage from Mogappair bridge, the NGT observed that Rs. 735 crore has been spent since 2015 by the Chennai River Restoration Trust.
Observing that Metrowater had spent Rs. 193.25 crores to plug 37 out of 40 sewage inlets as per 2023 data and Metrowater has also spent substantial amounts on building monitoring and control centers to keep tabs on licensed private sewage tankers plying in the city, the NGT noted that the GPS system of Metrowater is not working efficiently.
Apart from TNPCB and Metrowater, the NGT has impleaded Central Pollution Control Board, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Chennai district collector.
During a hearing, Metrowater informed the NGT that the tanker lorry had been traced and a fine of Rs. 25,000 had been imposed. But none of the respondents could disclose the source from which sewage was received by the tanker, the place of its loading, the person or authority on whose instructions such sewage was loaded and other details.
Since the respondents sought time to file a detailed report, the NGT gave 4-week time to submit the report.
