NGT orders to submit an action plan on SUDP in 15 days

Aurangabad:

The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) judicial member Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member Dr Vijay Kumar have ordered the Town Planning (TP) section of Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to submit an action plan with the time frame of completing the proposed works under Sewage Upgradation Programme (SUDP) in the city within 15 days. The next hearing will be held on March 21.

The NGT observed that the AMC has submitted the reply stating that it will appoint a project management consultant (PMC) in a month to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) of the SUDP is unclear. There is no mention of the time limit (deadline) of the works ordered by the tribunal during the last hearing. This depicts that the AMC has not taken the NGT’s order seriously. The deadline for the works has not yet been fixed, stated the tribunal expressing disappointment against the AMC.

Besides, the petitioner Suraj Ajmera has been told to submit a copy of the affidavit to the municipal corporation. The AMC should submit its say in two weeks. The AMC had stated that it has completed the laying of a 68 km drainage pipeline under SUDP in the city. However, in reality, the laying of 18 km is still lying incomplete. The AMC should take total responsibility for the incomplete work, stated the NGT.

It may be noted that the AMC launched SUDP, but the wastewater continues to be released in the Kham River, which passes through the city. This was manifolding the pollution. Hence Ajmera approached the NGT urging to clean up the bed of the river. He also stated that the waste was being released in the river from 249 points.

Hence the tribunal directed the applicant to submit the photos of these points.

Adv Nilesh Dalal and Adv Anuya Sagare pleaded on behalf of the petitioner, Adv Anirudh Kulkarni represented AMC and Adv Vilas Jadhav voiced on behalf of other respondents.