New Delhi, Dec 7 (PTI) The National Green Tribunal has constituted a committee to obtain a factual report on the pollution of the Hindon river.

The tribunal was hearing a petition claiming the river was heavily polluted due to unimpeded dumping of waste.

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The Hindon is a tributary of the Yamuna which originates in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh and after passing through the districts of Muzzafarnagar, Meerut, Baghpat and Ghaziabad merges with the Yamuna in Gautam Budh Nagar district.

A bench comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel said it appeared the Uttar Pradesh pollution control board (UPPCB) had prepared an action plan for restoration of the polluted stretch of the river from Saharanpur to Ghaziabad but it remained “only on paper" and nothing substantial was done on the ground.

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As a result, the river was highly polluted in the entire length of its travel, particularly in Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar districts, the bench said.

It noted the petition required consideration as it involved a substantial question of environment.

“However, before taking further action, we find it appropriate to obtain a factual report for which a joint Committee comprising the UPPCB, UP Jal Nigam, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and National Mission for Clean Ganga and representative of the Principal Secretary, Department of Irrigation is constituted who shall submit a factual report within two months,” the green panel said.

The report has to mention all aspects of rejuvenating river Hindon and its tributaries before they merge with the Yamuna, it added.

The tribunal said the pollution control board in Uttar Pradesh will be the nodal agency for coordination and compliance.

The matter has been listed on February 1 for further proceedings.

According to the petition, the Hindon river was a primary source of water for residential, agricultural and industrial purposes in the districts of Saharanpur, Muzzafarnagar, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar.

It also provided water to the rural population in the six districts, the petition said.

The river, originating from the Shakumbhari Devi Range in the Shivaliks, has a length of around 400 km and a catchment area of 7,083 sq km.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)