NGT summons community leaders over STP to tackle Yamuna pollution

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday summoned representatives of the Valmiki community from Najafgarh after the Delhi Government expressed its inability to set up an STP for cleaning the Yamuna river since the land in the area belonged to the community.

An NGT bench headed by its Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar ordered the SHO concerned to bring to the green court representatives of the Valmiki community from Dichaon Kalan village on Friday.

The Tribunal, in October, slammed the Delhi government and the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for delaying its orders on the Yamuna cleaning project.

On Thursday, the National Capital Territory of Delhi authorities informed the tribunal about the inability to install the sewage treatment plant (STP) in the village since the land belonged to the Valmiki Samaj.

"Land acquisition is an issue... the Valmiki Samaj is not giving the land... we cannot displace the people there," the Delhi government told the NGT.

The bench thereafter ordered summoning of the community representatives.

Earlier, the tribunal ordered the installation of seven STPs along the Yamuna to control pollution due to sewage.

The DJB said it had initiated the process but could not go ahead due to lack of central funds.

The tribunal had earlier directed the Delhi government and the DJB to submit a status report on the progress in the work in the first phase of cleaning of the river.

Pointing out that pollution of the Yamuna by industrial effluents and sewage was a matter of serious concern, the green court had noted that almost 67 per cent of the pollutants entering the river would be treated by two sewage treatment plants at Delhi Gate and Najafgarh under the first phase of the 'Maili Se Nirmal Yamuna Revitalisation Project'.