SC expresses concern over plastic dumping on river banks and water bodies

New Delhi: The Supreme Court expressed serious concern over unchecked dumping of plastic and other waste materials at many river banks and water bodies, saying it is causing significant environmental degradation and harming aquatic life.

A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and S V N Bhatti said there is widespread use of plastic in the areas which are to be kept free from such pollution-potential products.

"The dumping of plastic is causing serious environment degradation and also impacting aquatic life in the river banks and the water bodies in the country," the bench said.

The court felt that unless concerted effort is made by the responsible authorities with people’s cooperation, irrespective of the efforts to target illegal or unauthorised constructions, the desired improvement of the quality of the water in river Ganga and all other rivers and water bodies in the country will remain illusory.

The court directed the Centre and the Bihar government to file an affidavit in the matter within four weeks.

The court was hearing an appeal filed by Ashok Kumar Sinha, a Patna resident, out of an order by the National Green Tribunal.

Advocate Akash Vashishtha, appearing for Sinha, argued that there are massive illegal constructions of colonies, setting up of brick kilns and other structures, including, a 1.5 km road by the Bihar government itself, on the eco-fragile floodplains of Ganga in Patna, one of the richest Dolphins habitat in the subcontinent.

Further, the groundwater of the areas adjacent to Ganga River in Patna was heavily laced with Arsenic and therefore, the purity and ecological integrity of Ganga becomes all the more pressing for sustaining 5.5 lakh population of Patna, he added.

All this was in complete violation of the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection & Management) Authorities Order, 2016, under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, he claimed.

He also submitted that the areas upstream and downstream of the stretch between Nauzer Ghat to Nurpur Ghat comprised one of the richest Dolphins habitat which was being threatened with these illegal constructions, on Ganga riverbed and floodplains.

"Bihar, for example, is just taking 25 meters from the river edge as benchmark, which, in effect, would completely destroy the whole of Ganga floodplain area in the state. This is a serious issue, which needs to be looked into," the counsel said.

The court had earlier indicated to increase the ambit of the case so as to include the floodplains of all 11 Ganga basin states.