Gandhinagar:

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to Union and Gujarat governments, Narmada Control Authority and others on a plea which claimed that owing to scanty release of water towards downstream from Sardar Sarovar Dam on the river in Central Gujarat the drying river bed was causing damage to the environment and other problems.

The Delhi based main bench of the tribunal has sought the reply of notices by July 30.

Hearing the plea by Narmada Pradushan Nivaran Samiti and the Bharuch Citizen Council seeking daily release of 1500 cubic ft per second (Cusec) of water from Sardar Sarovar dam in the downstream of River Narmada instead of current flow of around 600 Cusec daily, the bench led by acting Chairperson Jawad Rahim issued notices to Sardar Sarovar Namada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL), Narmada Control Authority (NCA), Gujarat government and its state pollution control board, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and some other concerned agencies.

The plea has also requested the tribunal to order an independent assessment by expert committee of the flow required in the Narmada river in different seasons.

It has mentioned the problem of water crisis and the heavily polluting Industrial units along the tail of Narmada and various kind of problems caused by the unavailability of water in the downstream areas.

DeshGujarat