The eastern zonal bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Bengal and central agencies to ensure that the pollution control of Santragachi Jheel, a haven for migratory birds, is not delayed over payment disputes.

The bench has put the onus on the railways to do the work “expeditiously”.

It said: “ … the original application is of 2016 and more than nine years have already passed therefore, the Action Taken Report of the railways must be filed by the next date fixed."

The bench will hear the matter next on September 26.

Based on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by environment activist Subhas Datta in 2016, the tribunal had directed in November 2017 that the state and central agencies should share the cost of implementation in an 82-18 ratio, based on the pollution load of the Howrah Municipal Corporation and the railways into the lake.

The implementation cost includes the installation of drains around the lake called garland drains and a sewage treatment plant to stop water contamination.

While the state government agencies claim that they have already paid part of the amount to the railways and are in the process of releasing the rest of the amount, the railways have complained of a delay in payment.

The bench, in its latest order on September 11, referred to the state government affidavit that claims that the Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has already paid the land licence fee of about ₹2.45 lakh for 35 years to the railways and sanctioned ₹28.82 crore for setting up the STP and associated infrastructure, while the clearance of another ₹1.92 crore for constructing the garland drain is in process.

“We expect the railways to take up the matter about the lease of the land for purposes of carting out the works expeditiously,” reads the order of the division bench of Justice C. Amit Sthalekar and expert judge Arub Kumar Verma, a copy of which is with Metro.

“Both the departments are government departments, the railway being the department of the central government and the other (CMDA) being a department of the state government … the implementation of the project … at the Santragachi Jheel should not be delayed on issues of payment,” the bench said.

“The NGT has earlier disposed of the matter in 2023 with a direction to complete the work within the next six months. When nothing was done, I filed a fresh petition earlier this year,” said Datta.

“We will comply with the tribunal's order and file the Action Taken Report in the next hearing,” said Ashok Prasad, the railways' lawyer.