The eastern zonal bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has highlighted several gaps in an affidavit filed by the state environment department over the pollution in Kestopur and Bagjola canals.

The bench expressed doubts about the government’s seriousness in combating the problem and sought a fresh affidavit.

The government affidavit was submitted in the context of a public interest litigation filed by green activist Subhas Datta.

“The government continues to drag on the case and has not done much on the ground,” said Datta.

“In view of the factual gaps and deficiencies in the affidavit, we direct the principal secretary, department of environment …to file a fresh affidavit giving current status report … with regard to the inadequacies of the report noted hereinabove and also with regard to the remedial measures …” reads the order passed by the division bench of Justice C. Amit Sthalekar and expert judge Arun Kumar Verma.

The order, a copy of it is with The Telegraph, was passed on September 11 but could only be accessed last Friday. The affidavit was filed in July.

The tribunal also directed the state pollution control board to submit a water sample report from the entire Kestopur-Bagjola stretch once every three months and to inform relevant government departments in case of violation of permissible limits.

Earlier the bench raised questions on several responses in the environment department submission.

The bench said no timeline was mentioned when the detailed project report would be submitted, based on which the pollution reduction in the Kestopur canal would be taken up.

The affidavit mentioned that construction of a sewage treatment plant and related area development at Bonhoogly in Baranagar could not be done, though tenders were floated five times.

The bench pointed it out and asked: “… is the state government handicapped to proceed with the setting up of the sewage treatment plant of its own rather than put the environment or inhabitants of the city at risk?”.

Such a report “does not show the seriousness of the government”, said the bench.

“We are informed that the Bagjola canal is an ancient canal existing from the British time … we are shocked to know that the state government is not even aware of the number of outfalls into the Bagjola canal and to date no one has done any survey in this regard,” said the bench.

“We have just received the NGT order. We will look at it closely and respond,” said a lawyer representing a government department in
the case.