The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday constituted a High-Level Committee (HLC) of concerned authorities in Delhi, where pollution of the Yamuna is higher (about 75%), compared to other river basin states.
The bench headed by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel on Monday, while constituting the committee, requested the Lieutenant Governor (LG), Delhi, who is chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Administrator of Delhi under Article 239 of the Constitution, to head the committee.
Other members of the committee will be the Chief Secretary, Delhi, who will act as convener; Secretaries, Irrigation, Forest and Environment, Agriculture, and Finance, Government of Delhi, CEO, Delhi Jal Board, Vice Chairman, DDA, Secretary or his nominee (not below the rank of Additional Secretary), Union Ministry of Agriculture, Director General, Forest; or his nominee (not below the rank of DDG), Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti; or his nominee (not below the rank of Additional Secretary, Secretary, MoEF & CC or his nominee not below the rank of Additional Secretary, DG National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board, said the Tribunal.
Having multiple authorities in Delhi may be one of the reasons for not achieving success so far. There appears to be a lack of ownership and accountability. A huge amount has already been spent without achieving the desired results. Judicial oversight has continued for almost 29 years. DDA has to take measures for protecting floodplain zones while drain-owning agencies (DJB, Irrigation Department, Municipal Corporation, etc.) have to maintain drains free from pollution, said the National Green Tribunal.