New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) The Supreme Court Wednesday asked if the Modi government intended to complete the task of cleaning the Ganga in its present term or carry it to the next term and keep the issue alive.
The apex court also sought details on the status of various sewage treatment plants (STP) that were being set up to prevent the untreated effluent from flowing into the Ganga river.
"You want to do it (cleaning Ganga) in this term of the government or the next or keep the issue alive," the apex court bench of Justice T.S. Thakur, Justice R.K. Agrawal and Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel asked Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar as it sought the verifiable road-map of the government's plan to clean the Ganga.
"What is that you are going to do that we can monitor," court asked Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, telling him: "We want verifiable progress, be it (over a stretch) of 100 km."
Seeking the government response in "layman's term" and not the "bureaucratic jargons", the court asked: "In regards to Uttrakhand what are the directions you have issued? What are the reports and what are the impediments?"
Seeking the status of various sewage treatment plants (STPs) which are under construction or in tendering stage, the court said, "You have already spent Rs.2,000 crore and money is not a constraint for you."
As the solicitor general told the court that 16 STPs being set up in Uttrakhand would take three years to complete, the court sought the status report on 31 STPs on which work is in progress and on 15 STPs which are in the bidding process stage.
The court also sought the copy of the report of the study being carried by a consortium of IITs on the basin management plan for cleaning the Ganga. The consortium of IITs is likely to submit its report by the month-end, Ranjit Kumar told the court.
As petitioner M.C. Mehta drew the attention of the court to the management of eco-sensitive zone of the Ganga from Gomukh to Uttarkashi, the solicitor general told the court that IIT consortium is studying this aspect as well.
Pointing to the government's affidavit of Aug 31, 2014, which said that some of the STPs were in the bidding stage, the court sought a status report on that also, and hoped that the bidding process in respect of them must have reached the allotment stage.
Seeking the status report in respect of 31 sewage treatment plants which were in ongoing stage and 15 in the bidding stage, the court said if bids have not been allotted so far, then what were the reasons for the delay.
The court gave the government six weeks' time to furnish the details sought by it.
Arvind Kejriwal: Who will hoist the tricolor in Delhi on Independence Day? CM Kejriwal wrote a letter to LG and revealed the name
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written a letter to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena from jail. The CM has written a letter regarding hoisting the tricolor in Delhi on Independence Day on August
PM Modi: 'Telangana is called the gateway to South India', PM Modi said in Sangareddy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a tour of Telangana today. During this, he visited Shri Ujjaini Mahakali Temple in the morning and worshiped. He then reached Sangareddy, where he addressed a public
Maha Kumbh 2025: A woman saint created a ruckus in the Mela Adhikari office, there was a lot of scuffle, and the female saint also took away the government mobile
The woman saint who reached the temporary office of Maha Kumbh Mela Adhikari situated on Triveni Marg in Parade with her disciples on Thursday afternoon created a ruckus. She also scuffled with the
A small tablet of iodine will save from nuclear attack: America bought it for 2,388 crores, Biden said - the world is nearing the last war
On October 2, 2022, the US government announced the purchase of iodine medicine worth Rs 2,389 crore. For the first time in the history of America, so many iodine tablets have been purchased at the
Coronavirus Updates: Corona cases increased again in the country today, 1938 people positive in 24 hours, 67 died
The cases of Corona in the country have registered an increase for the second consecutive day. In the last 24 hours, 1,938 new cases of the coronavirus have been reported. During this, 67 people have
Impact on Corona: After 32 years, the pace of polio vaccination slows down in the country, India is more backward than Pakistan, Bangladesh
The Narendra Modi government has offered to give Covoxin vaccines to adolescents aged 15-18 years to protect against Covid-19. But due to the Corona epidemic, the pace of non-Covid vaccination
Shanti Bhushan CD case: Can't provide probe Data under RTI, Police to HC
New Delhi, Jan 15 (IANS) The Delhi High Court was Thursday informed by the city police that it cannot provide investigation material under the RTI Act, while challenging a CIC direction to make
Growing pile of garbage on Chile's Atacama Desert, called Earth's Mars, raised the concern of scientists
The growing pile of garbage on Chile's Atacama Desert, called Earth's Mars, has increased the concern of scientists. Researchers are not only worried about the damage caused to the environment due to
Foundation Stone Laid for IIM-Visakhapatnam (Lead)
Visakhapatnam, Jan 17 (IANS) Union Human Resources Development Minister Smriti Irani Saturday laid the foundation stone for the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Gambheeram village near this
Varun's target on Yogi-Modi's rally: Said - imposing curfew at night and calling lakhs of people in rallies during the day, this is beyond comprehension
BJP MP from Pilibhit, Varun Gandhi is constantly attacking his party. On Monday, once again, by tweeting, he targeted CM Yogi's decision to impose night curfew in the state.