A joint committee has been constituted by the National Green Tribunal to examine and act upon alleged violations of environmental norms concerning the pollution of the river Ganga in Prayagraj.
The move comes in response to a petition that raised grave concerns over the unchecked discharge of untreated sewage and industrial effluents into the sacred river during the Magh Mela festivities. The petitioner alleged that nearly 50 drains were channelising polluted water directly into the Ganga across an approximately eight-kilometre stretch from Rasulabad to the revered confluence at Sangam, thereby compromising not just the sanctity of the river but the health and ecological well-being of communities dependent on it.The bench, led by NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and comprising Justices Sudhir Agarwal, Arun Kumar Tyagi, and expert member Afroz Ahmad, found that the plea raised substantial issues regarding environmental compliance. The tribunal highlighted that several sewage treatment plants in the vicinity, reportedly numbering around ten, were allegedly either defunct or performing below optimal standards.
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As per claims made in the plea, this resulted in visibly degraded water quality, including a “blackish” hue of the Ganga — a visual symptom of heavy contamination that demands urgent intervention. This becomes particularly alarming given the timing of the alleged discharges, coinciding with a large-scale religious event that sees millions of pilgrims congregating for holy dips in the river.
Recognising the recurring and deep-rooted nature of pollution in both the Ganga and Yamuna, the tribunal pointed out that this was not an isolated case but part of a larger systemic issue. However, given the immediate relevance to the just-concluded Magh Mela, the NGT has now tasked a joint panel comprising the District Magistrate of Prayagraj and the Member Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board with verifying the veracity of the allegations and reporting on the ground-level situation.
The committee has also been directed to take appropriate remedial actions where necessary to mitigate environmental damage and protect the public interest. The tribunal expects a detailed action-taken report to be submitted within two months.
The incident again casts a harsh spotlight on India’s ongoing struggle to preserve its rivers despite years of court orders, policy interventions, and large-scale river rejuvenation projects. It also underscores a recurring gap between infrastructure on paper and functionality on the ground, especially in urban and semi-urban regions where population growth and mass events like the Magh Mela often overwhelm existing systems. As climate vulnerability intensifies and the importance of sustainable water resources grows, ensuring zero-discharge compliance, strengthening sewage treatment infrastructure, and continuous third-party monitoring may no longer be optional but essential to safeguard not just environmental health, but public trust.
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Ganga pollution being checked in Prayagraj
