NGT slaps Rs 25 lakh fine on UP govt for failing to stop dirty water discharge into Ganga Canal
New Delhi, Feb 5: Dumping of sewage in water bodies is an offence, the National Green Tribunal said Tuesday while slapping a penalty of Rs 25 lakh on the Uttar Pradesh government for its failure to stop discharge of dirty water into Upper Ganga canal.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said adequate steps have not been taken for proper waste management and its treatment.
The green panel said that clean environment is a fundamental right and the apathy by the authorities has to be dealt with coercive action.
It noted the submission of the state government that a sewage treatment plant at Niwari will be completed within six months and asked the urban development ministry to give an undertaking with a performance guarantee of 35 lakh.
"The chief secretary may furnish progress report to this tribunal. Having regard to the serious implication on public health, the matter must be seen with due attention from the highest level of authorities instead of being left to the lowest level," the tribunal said.
NGT had earlier constituted a joint committee of Director of local bodies and Chief Engineer, Irrigation Department to prepare short term and long term Action Plan with timelines for stopping the pollution, reversing the damage and prosecuting the offenders.
The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by local resident Vivek Tyagi alleging that Niwari Nagar Panchayat has illegally constructed a drainage system to Upper Ganga canal belonging to UP irrigation department.
According to the applicant, Niwari Nagar Panchayat has illegally opened the municipal drains into two ponds which are polluting the water body resulting in contamination of the groundwater.
"Not only this, even some municipal garbage generated from the town is being dumped in the said two ponds, which is threatening the existence of these water bodies," it said.
In the absence of facility for treating domestic wastewater, the drainage system serves as a channel to carry waste water into Upper Ganga canal thereby polluting it and other water bodies.
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Bengaluru jail introduces biometric tracking system for prisoners
Bengaluru: In a bid to curb misconduct and illegal activities inside Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, prison authorities have introduced a new ‘Prisoners Tracking Movement System’ under which inmates will have to undergo biometric verification while entering every barrack.
According to jail officials, biometric systems have been installed across all major sections of the prison, including barracks, visitor rooms, hospital, canteen, kitchen, library, playground, handicraft units and bakery sections. Staff members have also been deployed at these locations.
Officials said inmates visiting the visitors’ room must now obtain a digital token after biometric verification. Details such as the prisoner’s name, identification number and entry time will be updated in the prison software system. This will help authorities maintain a complete digital record of inmates visiting and returning from meeting rooms.
Similar systems have also been introduced at entry points of the hospital, library and other barracks accessed for work-related purposes. Officials said the system will help identify prisoners involved in suspicious or illegal activities with other inmates and enable authorities to track how much time a prisoner spends at different locations inside the prison.
Authorities stated that AI-powered cameras were already being used inside the prison to monitor inmates as well as prison staff. Along with this, digital tracking of prisoner phone calls and a digital token system for visitor meetings have now been added to strengthen surveillance over inmate movement. Officials said the project has been implemented at a cost of around Rs 2.25 crore.
The prison department has also introduced a canteen usage tracking system to monitor prisoners’ spending patterns. Instead of direct cash payments, inmates can purchase bakery items and snacks using wallets or coupons issued within the prison system.
Officials said the digital system will record details including the buyer’s name, items purchased, quantity, date, time and remaining wallet balance. This will allow prison authorities to maintain complete expenditure records of inmates.
