HC slams ‘systematic failure’ as toxic industrial discharge turns 2 CG rivers black

Raipur: The Chhattisgarh High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of alarming industrial pollution in the state's two rivers and observed that the situation reflects a "deeply disturbing and regressive state of affairs" and raises serious concerns over regulatory failure. Acting on media reports, a division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal on May 4 flagged the deteriorating condition of river ecosystems due to unchecked industrial discharge in the Shivnath and Kharun rivers.The court noted reports of mass fish deaths in Shivnath river near Mohbhatta-Dhuma village, about 27km from Bilaspur. Investigations linked the pollution to the alleged discharge of untreated, spirit-contaminated effluents from a liquor manufacturing unit. The contamination reportedly turned the river water black, killing lakhs of aquatic organisms and posing health risks to nearby residents, including respiratory issues and skin irritation. Environmental damage has also spread to surrounding land and vegetation, with trees reported to have blackened and withered.Shams Parvez, chemistry professor at the Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University, said distilleries generate around 15 litres of highly acidic "spent wash" for every litre of alcohol produced. Although zero liquid discharge systems are mandatory, their high operational cost—Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 per day—often leads to non-compliance.The situation in the Kharun river is equally concerning. The court referred to reports linking pollution to another distillery, where illegal murum (a mixture of rock particles, gravel, and organic soil) mining has created deep pits now functioning as "toxic reservoirs" for industrial waste. These pits have worsened ecological damage and reportedly claimed at least 15 lives.The bench termed the situation a "systematic failure in enforcement" by state authorities and the Chhattisgarh environment conservation board. It noted continued inaction despite earlier judicial directions. "The rivers, once sustaining biodiversity and human life, are now reported to have become unfit even for basic use," the court observed, criticizing the state for regulatory lapses and non-compliance.As part of its directive, the court impleaded a distillery company as a respondent and directed secretary of the environment conservation board and the unit concerned to file personal affidavits detailing steps taken to curb pollution. The board has also been asked to submit a comprehensive action plan against polluting industries.