NMC refuses to pay NEERI following row

NASHIK: With less than a year to go for Kumbh, differences over the scope of work have erupted between the various agencies overseeing the measures to curb Godavari river pollution. The civic body has refused to pay the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) till the issue is resolved.
The expert committee appointed by the Bombay high court in the Godavari river pollution case and the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) differ with the NEERI regarding the agency's scope of work.
The NEERI has stated that it will not cover the area beyond the city limits, because there is not much population to pollute the river beyond city limits. Expert committee members and the NMC, however, feel that the agency should survey and suggest solutions to curb river pollution from Gangapur dam to Nandurmadhyameshwar.
In a letter dated June 23 to the expert committee, NEERI chief scientist Rakesh Kumar stated that the agency will be surveying and suggesting solutions to curb river pollution only in the city limits. In its reply to the letter, the expert committee has asked NEERI to clarify if their scope of work and recommendations are limited only to the forthcoming Kumbh Mela.
The NMC has refused to make the remaining payment to NEERI if it cuts down the scope of the work. The civic body has to pay Rs 80 lakh to NEERI for the survey of the river and its observations and recommendations to curb pollution. Till now, the NMC has paid Rs 53 lakh to the agency.
A petitioner and member of the expert committee Rajesh Pandit said, "The court directive mentions the scope of work from Gangapur dam to Nandurmadhyameshwar. They have to cover this 60-km stretch. Unless the differences between the technical expert and NEERI are resolved, the NMC should not pay them."
NMC's executive engineer S R Vanjari said, "They will have to do the work as defined by the court. Technical expert of the expert committee Prajakta Baste is also monitoring all the things. The question of payment does not arise till NEERI completes what it has committed to."
The interim orders given by the HC on April 18, 2013, May 6, 2013 and October 17, 2013 have mentioned the scope of the project from Gangapur Dam to Nandurmadhyameshwar as A-II class of river to be rejuvenated. Further, as per the timeline specified, work to be done during 3-9 months, drainage pattern and their issues with regard to the type of drainage, flow and current use of the 19 nullahs has to be documented and analyzed. Also, for the period of 9-12 months, the conceptual designs of Godavari river rejuvenation are yet to be discussed and finalised. The compliance done for these should be discussed with the committee as mentioned in phase III of the project report.
NEERI representative Shivani Dhage said, "The final report will be ready in the next 8-10 days. We have done whatever is possible, whatever is scientific and whatever is needed. We have applied scientific approach."
Baste said that the scope of work was given by NEERI itself. "When we say that the river has to be rejuvenated, we should not look only at the main city, where it is most polluted, but also in areas where population is less. We have to identify reasons of river pollution no matter how less polluted it is."