NGT Directs States and UTs to Designate Nodal Agency to Protect Water Bodies
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed all states and the union territories (UT) to designate a nodal agency to take adequate steps for protection of water bodies.
Highlights
- The NGT has directed the states and UTs that the designated nodal agency may hold its meeting under the guidance of chief secretaries of states and UTs.
- NGT further directs that the meeting must not be held later than 31 January, 2021.
- The NGT holds that the meeting must be held on time to take stock of the situation and plan further.
- Tribunal also asked the central monitoring committee to monitor the steps taken for restoration of water bodies by all states at least thrice in a year. The central monitoring committee was formed to monitor the remediation of 351 polluted river stretches.
What is the need?
The NGT finds that these steps would help in restoring the aesthetics, water availability, aquatic life, microclimate, recharge of ground water and in maintaining the e-flow of the rivers.
Background
This direction from the Green Tribunal (NGT) has come in while hearing a plea filed by petitioner Haryana resident, retired lieutenant colonel Sarvadaman Singh Oberoi. The colonel has filed a plea in the tribunal and seek for the restoration of the Ghata Lake in Gurgaon. Apart from it, he filed plea seeking the restoration of 214 other water bodies, natural channels in the district and similar water bodies in Faridabad also.
About NGT
The NGT was established by an act of Parliament called the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010. The Principal Bench of the NGT is in New Delhi apart from its regional benches in Pune, Bhopal, Chennai and Kolkata The Chairperson of the tribunal is a retired Judge of the Supreme Court. Justice Lokeshwar Singh Panta was the first Chairman of NGT. The tribunal has been created after inspirations from the article 21 9Right to life and personal liberty) of the Indian constitution
National Green Tribunal Act, 2010
It is an Act of the Parliament that enables the creation of a special tribunal to handle the environmental cases.