The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, and Delhi to ensure that all Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) dumping their waste in the Ganga and Yamuna rivers and other water bodies immediately install Online Continuous Effluent Monitoring Systems (OCEMS).
OEMS are automated, real-time monitoring systems installed by industries to track the quality and quantity of wastewater (effluent) they discharge.A Bench of Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member Afroz Ahmad said that pollution control boards, both at the central and state levels, are required to take prompt action to ensure that GPS do not default and install OCEMS without delay.
“Hence, we dispose of the OA directing the Chairman, CPCB to duly consider the representation of the applicant dated 08.03.2025 and issue necessary direction to PCBs/PCC of UP, Haryana, Bihar and Delhi ensuring installation of OCEMS in the above GPIs and to monitor the same,” the tribunal ordered.
The order came in response to an application filed by Md Imran Ahmad, who alleged that over 1,700 industries across Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar and Delhi have failed to comply with CPCB’s directions and were continuing to discharge untreated effluents into major water bodies, including the Ganga and Yamuna rivers, causing severe environmental damage.
After hearing the matter, the Tribunal ordered the Member Secretaries of the state SPCBs and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to submit compliance reports to the CPCB within two months, while the CPCB must take remedial and punitive action against defaulting industries within one month thereafter.
Industrial pollution in the Ganga and Yamuna rivers is a major issue, with over 400 million liters of industrial wastewater discharged daily into these rivers from thousands of "grossly polluting industries". Key contributors include tanneries, paper mills, and chemical factories, which release toxic heavy metals like chromium and lead. These pollutants severely degrade water quality, making it hazardous for ecosystems and human health, and have led to significant pollution in key stretches of both rivers, particularly in cities like Kanpur on the Ganga and the stretch of the Yamuna through Delhi.
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