NGT Directs NMCG to File Detailed Report on Delays in Clean Ganga Mission, Seeks Clarification on Stormwater and Floodplain STP Issues
Pranav B Prem
The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Principal Bench, New Delhi, has directed the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to file a comprehensive report within four weeks addressing concerns over delays in expenditure and implementation of projects under the Clean Ganga Mission. The Tribunal took suo motu cognisance of a news report published in The Hindu on 19 August 2024 titled “Clean Ganga mission head flags extremely slow pace of project expenditures”, which highlighted serious lapses in project execution across States connected to the Ganga river basin.
The matter was heard by a Bench comprising Justice Prakash Shrivastava (Chairperson) and Dr. A. Senthil Vel (Expert Member). During the proceedings, counsel for the NMCG informed the Tribunal that reports had already been sought from all States and State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) through which the Ganga and its tributaries flow, but responses were still awaited. The NMCG requested four weeks’ time to consolidate the data and file a detailed status report.
Taking note of the submission, the Tribunal directed the NMCG to file a comprehensive report addressing all issues raised in the news article, including financial expenditure and project progress, and to incorporate specific clarifications on sewage management, stormwater infrastructure and floodplain protection.
The Tribunal expressed particular concern regarding the tapping of stormwater drains and its potential consequences. It observed that if stormwater drains are permanently linked with sewage drains, the stormwater discharge mechanism may be severely compromised. The Bench warned that such tapping may cause overflow of stormwater drains during rainfall, violate earlier directions that prohibit discharge of sewage into stormwater systems, and overload sewage treatment plants (STPs), increasing the risk of untreated sewage flowing into rivers and natural watercourses.
The Tribunal directed the NMCG to clarify whether stormwater drain tapping is being allowed or adopted anywhere in the Ganga basin as a permanent measure, and if so, to detail the safeguards and statutory approvals backing such actions.
Further, the Tribunal addressed the issue of STPs constructed on floodplains. It noted that floodplains form sensitive ecological and hydrological zones and emphasised that any STP construction on these areas must undergo strict scrutiny. The Tribunal directed the NMCG to disclose whether any STPs have been allowed or financed on the floodplain stretches of the Ganga or its tributaries. Additionally, the NMCG must specify which parts of the Ganga river system have had their floodplain boundaries formally demarcated by the competent authorities.
These disclosures, the Tribunal held, are essential for assessing compliance with environmental norms and ensuring that sewage infrastructure does not encroach into ecologically restricted zones or adversely impact river rejuvenation efforts.
The NGT directed the NMCG to file a comprehensive report within four weeks, covering financial utilisation, stormwater drain tapping, floodplain STP construction and demarcation of floodplain zones along the Ganga and its tributaries. After submission of the report, the Tribunal will review compliance and environmental safeguards. The matter is listed for further consideration on 10 February 2026.
Appearance
Applicant: Suo Motu
Respondents: Mr. Gigi. C. George, Adv. for NMCG Mr. Vikrant N. Goyal, Adv. for CPCB (Through VC) Ms. Asha Gopalan Nair, Advocate for MoEF & CC (Through VC)
Cause Title: News Item titled “Clean Ganga mission head flags extremely slow pace of project expenditures”
Case No: Original Application No. 1118/2024
Coram: Justice Prakash Shrivastava (Chairperson), Dr. A. Senthil Vel (Expert Member)
