High Court wants implementation of NEERI study on Godavari pollution

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court today asked Nashik Divisional Commissioner to take a decision on the recommendations of National Environmental Engineering Research Institute ( NEERI) on pollution of river Godavari caused by the ' Shahi Snnan' (holy bath) events during Kumbh Mela last year.

The high court had appointed NEERI to form a committee to study the pollution and submit a report.

The NEERI committee submitted a report on November 15 last year, giving its recommendations.

However, the high court was informed today that some of the recommendations had been accepted while some were not implemented by the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC).

Hearing this, a division bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka asked the Nashik Divisional Commissioner to ensure that the NEERI recommendations are implemented by the Nashik civic body.

The high court was acting on a PIL filed by social activists Rajesh Pandit and Nishikant Paghare alleging pollution in Godavari and seeking for a direction to clean the river.

The bench also asked NMC to file an affidavit on or before June 20 informing it about the status of Sewage Treatment Plant which was being constructed in its jurisdiction.

The matter was adjourned for hearing to June 24.

The high court had earlier directed the authorities not to release the water from river Godavari any further as it might have been polluted after the Shahi Snaans.

It had also asked the Maharashtra government and NMC to take immediate measures to clean the water of river Godavari.

"The government has a policy which categorises its priority list....supply of water for drinking purposes comes first and supply of water for such Shahi Snaan purposes comes in the last category," the court had said.