Stop use of polluted river water, NGO pleads in high court

NASHIK: The Godavari Gatarikaran Virodhi Manch, petitioners in the river pollution case who were asked by the Bombay high court on April 8 to file an application regarding pollution due to sewage treatment plants, pleaded on Thursday that consumption of water from Gangapur to Nandur Madhyameshwar be prohibited till the guidelines of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) are followed. The divisional bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice AP Bhangale asked the respondents to reply by May 6.

During the last hearing, the petitioners mentioned the pollution being caused to the river due to the foam coming out of the sewage treatment plants at Tapovan and Agartakli and that this was harmful for the health of pilgrims who would bathe here during the Kumbh Mela. The court had asked them to file a fresh application for their complaints.

"We filed the application on Thursday, pleading that now onwards the use of river water and riverbed should be prohibited for all people from Gangapur to Nandur Madhyameshwar till NEERI's recommendations are followed. It should at least be prohibited near the Tapovan and Agartakli STPs. This water is unfit for consumption and dangerous. We gave a copy of this to all the concerned departments. The court said that this was a drastic demand but why should the prayer not be heard. As per NEERI's directions, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board had asked the Nashik Municipal Corporation to convert the STPs from 30 BOD (bio-chemical oxygen demand) to 10 BOD. Till NEERI's recommendations are followed, consumption of water should be prohibited," said petitioners' lawyer Pravarthak Pathak.

The court asked the Centre, state, MPCB and the NMC to file their say on the application by May 6.

"We have to study and discuss what can be done and then file our reply by the date given by the high court," said an NMC official.