NGT issues notices over Yamuna pollution, illegal constructions

Agra: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the Union Jal Shakti Ministry, Uttar Pradesh govt, Mathura-Vrindavan Municipal Corporation and other agencies over unchecked pollution in the Yamuna and illegal constructions along its banks.The action follows a petition by Vijay Kishore Goswami of Braj Vrindavan Devalaya Samiti, who highlighted untreated sewage, industrial waste discharge, and encroachments in floodplains. Despite NGT’s 2021 directions to improve sewage treatment, remove encroachments, and protect the river ecosystem, violations allegedly continue.Petitioners submitted a 95-page affidavit with water quality reports and geo-tagged photos showing drains discharging directly into the river and ongoing construction. Counsel Akash Vashishtha told the tribunal the Yamuna remains in ‘Category D’ under CPCB norms, unfit for bathing or domestic use.The NGT has sought detailed replies from multiple agencies, including CPCB, UPPCB, MVDA, Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad, and the National Mission for Clean Ganga, before the next hearing in August.