Ganga Water Should Also Come With 'Injurious to Health' Warning, Says NGT Board

Varanasi, July 28: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday, expressing anguish on the condition of Ganga, asked the state as to why should the river not carry a health warning due to its polluted waters, just like cigarette packets.

A bench, headed by NGT chairperson A K Goel, said that if cigarette packets can contain a warning saying smoking is 'injurious to health', then the people should also be informed about the adverse impact of polluted water.

The board declared that the river water coming from Haridwar in Uttarakhand to Unnao in Uttar Pradesh is unfit for drinking and even bathing and washing activities.

The Board said that people come to Ganga for its religious significance, bathe and drink the water without knowing the hazards to health the polluted water causes to the "innocent" people.

The tribunal directed the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to install display boards at a gap of 100 kilometres, so as to inform the visitors whether the water was fit for bathing and drinking or not.

It also directed the NMCG and the Central Pollution Control Board to put up on their website, within a fortnight, a map that would guide the people about clean and unclean water. This would help the pilgrims and other people to know whether the water they drink or bathe with, is pure or not, claimed the website.

In other news, the National Green Tribunal today directed all the states including Delhi to submit their reports to Centre Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on a monthly basis. In case of non compliance, CPCB may file complaint to NGT against that state.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 28, 2018 12:08 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).