Ammonia spike in Yamuna river
Date: 03 November 2020 Tags: MiscellaneousIssue
Water supply was affected in parts of Delhi after a spike in pollutants in the river Yamuna led to a temporary closure of two water treatment plants.
Background
Ammonia levels in the river have reached nearly 3 parts per million (ppm), almost six times above the acceptable limit of 0.5ppm.
Details
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Ammonia levels increase frequently in the Yamuna in Delhi. Officials have credited this spike to industrial effluents and sewage released into the river in different parts of Haryana.
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This was caused as freshwater from the Ganga was not available to mix with raw Yamuna water, which still had high concentration of ammonia.
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The National Green Tribunal has previously made efforts for ensuring clean water and air for residents of National Capital.
National Green Tribunal Act
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The National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 creates a special tribunal to handle the expeditious disposal of the cases pertaining to environmental issues.
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It draws inspiration from the India's constitutional provision of India Article 21 Protection of life and personal liberty, which assures the citizens of India the right to a healthy environment.
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The Tribunal's dedicated jurisdiction in environmental matters shall provide speedy environmental justice and help reduce the burden of litigation in the higher courts.
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The Tribunal shall not be bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice.
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The tribunal is mandated to make efforts for disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filing of the same.
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Initially, the NGT is proposed to be set up at five places of sittings and will follow circuit procedure for making itself more accessible; New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal, and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata, and Chennai shall be the other place of sitting of the Tribunal.
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The Chairperson of the NGT is a retired Judge of the Supreme Court. Other Judicial members are retired Judges of High Courts.
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Each bench of the NGT will comprise at least one Judicial Member and one Expert Member. Expert members should have a professional qualification and a minimum of 15 years experience in the field of environment/forest conservation and related subjects.
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The NGT deals with civil cases under the seven laws related to the environment, these include:
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The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974,
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The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977,
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The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980,
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The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981,
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The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986,
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The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 and
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The Biological Diversity Act, 2002.