NGT Seeks Pollution Boards’ Reply on Milk-Pouring Ritual in Narmada
-Bhopal: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought response from the Center and state pollution control boards on allegations that 11,000 liters of milk and 210 saris were served in the Narmada River during a religious function in Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore district, polluting the water body.
Hearing a petition against the Madhya Pradesh government, the court directed the authorities to examine whether such religious rituals violate existing environmental rules or require new anti-pollution regulations.
Nearly 11,000 liters of milk spilled into the river as part of a ritual held at the culmination of the 21-day religious event at Satdev village in Bherunda district on April 8, prompting environmentalists to flag its negative impact on the ecosystem.
The Central Zone bench of the NGT in Bhopal was hearing a petition against the state government on Monday.
The bench, comprising Justice Sheo Kumar Singh and expert member Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi, directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and MPPCB to submit reports on whether such rituals fall under existing environmental guidelines or whether new regulations are required.
The applicants claimed that around 11,000 liters of milk and 210 saris were offered into the Narmada River during the rituals.
They argued that the ritual could adversely affect the ecology of the river, aquatic organisms, irrigation sources and drinking water quality and violate the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
Although the court observed that no scientific data was presented before it regarding the pollution caused by the dumping of milk into rivers, it noted that Article 24 of the Water Code prohibits the discharge of pollutants into streams and wells.
He pointed out that organic substances can increase Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), which could potentially affect aquatic life.
The court also observed that pouring milk into Narmada during rituals has become a matter of environmental and public concern that needs to be looked into by pollution control authorities.
The matter was sent for discussion again on July 17.
Narmada originates from Amarkantak in the state and passes 1,312 km westwards through Maharashtra and Gujarat before emptying into the Arabian Sea via the Gulf of Cambay.
Flowing through a rift valley, it is the peninsula’s largest west-flowing river and is a crucial source of water for irrigation in MP, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
