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NGT Orders ₹500 Crore Environmental Restoration Fund for Yamuna River Cleanup
The National Green Tribunal mandates a time-bound action plan with dedicated funding for industrial pollution remediation along the Yamuna floodplain.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the establishment of a ₹500 crore Environmental Restoration Fund dedicated to the cleanup and ecological restoration of the Yamuna River, one of India's most polluted waterways.
The order, described by environmental lawyers as "unprecedented in scale," was issued in response to a consolidated petition filed by environmental NGOs documenting persistent industrial discharge violations along the Delhi-Agra stretch of the river.
Key directives
The Tribunal ordered the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to identify and seal all industrial units discharging untreated effluent within 2 kilometers of the Yamuna floodplain within 90 days. State pollution control boards in Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh must install real-time water quality monitoring stations at 50 specified points.
Funding mechanism
The ₹500 crore fund will be financed through a combination of pollution fines, a 1% cess on industrial water consumption in the catchment area, and contributions from the National Clean Energy Fund.
Constitutional foundation
The Tribunal grounded its jurisdiction in Articles 21 (right to life) and 48A (protection of environment) of the Constitution, noting that "the right to a clean river is not merely an aspirational directive principle but an enforceable fundamental right."
Compliance timeline
The Tribunal has appointed a monitoring committee chaired by a retired Supreme Court judge to oversee implementation. Quarterly compliance reports are mandated, with penalty provisions for non-compliance.
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