Ganga Plastic Pollution: Supreme Court Takes Action and Orders Center to Take Action

The Supreme Court voiced concern about the increased discharge of plastics in the Ganga and other Indian waterways. It urged the Center to initiate efforts to ensure that any cleaning effort is not in vain and unreal until rigorous safeguards are implemented to prevent plastic dumping near water bodies.

A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and S.V.N Bhatti stated, "It came to light that there is extensive use of plastic in places which need to be kept pure of such pollution-causing
products" Plastic waste is creating havoc on the ecosystem and threatening aquatic life in the country's rivers and bodies of water.

The Court stated that the “desired improvement” of water quality in the Ganga and other rivers and waterbodies across the country "will remain illusory until concerted efforts are
made by relevant authorities with people's cooperation to focus on illegal structures" The panel instructed the Center to file an affidavit within four weeks.

The Supreme Court further noted that illegal encroachments are being reported from the Ganga banks in Bihar and directed the government to react to the submissions. Last year, the Supreme Court directed the Bihar government to remove illegal buildings from the Ganga flood zones, particularly in and around Patna.

The court had been hearing a petition filed by Patna citizen Ashok Kumar Sinha against the National Green Tribunal's June 2020 judgment dismissing his complaint against unlawful structures and permanent encroachments on the eco-fragile floodplains.

Author: Aarya Kadam
News Writer