National Green Tribunal sets May as deadline for sewerage separation from Godavari

NASHIK: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Pune has asked the Trimbakeshwar Municipal Council here to complete the separation of sewerage from river Godavari in the temple town by May 28 and has also set the same deadline to build the biomethanation plant to treat municipal solid waste.
Hearing a PIL filed by environmentalist Lalita Shinde, Rajesh Pandit and Nishikant Pagare regarding pollution in Godavari at Trimbakeshwar on April 7, the NGT panel of Justice V R Kingaonkar and judicial expert Ajay Deshpande, sought to know from the Trimbakeshwar Municipal Council, the status of separation of the river and sewerage.

To which, the civic body stated that the work should be complete by first week of May.

The panel granted the Municipal Council an extended period of 20 more days to complete the work by May 28, Pandit told PTI today.

The NGT also sought to know the status of the bio methanation plant and set the same deadline for its completion. It also asked the Council to identify the blue line of Godavari in Trimbakeshwar by May 28.

The panel has asked the Council to consider May 28 as the last deadline for completion of all these three projects in Trimbakeshwar. These projects are particularly important keeping in mind the approaching Kumbhmela which will be held at Trimbakeshwar in July.

According to mythology, the Kumbhmela revolves around the separation of Amrut -- holy waters from the poisonous or unholy waters from the sea.

"If we consider it in today's terms, the separation of the river and sewer signifies the same. If this is achieved in Trimbakeshwar (29 kms from Nashik) in the given deadline, then the holiness of the event will be preserved. This is the first step in making Godavari pollution free," Pandit said.