The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has registered a petition calling for the rejuvenation of five major rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej to ensure they are free from pollution. The case, filed by Noida-based environmentalist Abhisht Kusum Gupta, highlights severe ecological and health threats caused by unchecked contamination.
Union and State Authorities Made Respondents
The petition names the Union Jal Shakti Ministry, state governments of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir, the Central Pollution Control Board, and the respective state pollution control boards as respondents. It also includes deputy commissioners from 25 districts, with 10 from Punjab alone, including Ferozepur, through which these rivers flow.
According to Gupta, district administrations have failed to prevent sludge and solid waste dumping into the rivers, despite their critical ecological and cultural importance.
From ‘Land of Five Rivers’ to Polluted Waterways
Punjab, historically known as Punj Aab meaning “land of five waters” once thrived on these rivers. But today, environmentalists warn that the Sutlej and its sister rivers are choking under industrial effluents, sewage, and encroachment.
Gupta’s plea demands the installation and proper functioning of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) in all districts bordering the rivers to stop untreated waste from flowing in.
Severe Ecological and Health Risks
The petitioner describes an “ongoing and systematic destruction” of these rivers, which form the lifeline of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, supporting agriculture, biodiversity, and groundwater recharge. Their floodplains, he notes, are also culturally and religiously significant.
Over the years, unregulated industrial discharge, rampant sand mining, and unsustainable development have degraded these waterways, violating the Public Trust Doctrine the principle that natural resources are held by the state for public benefit.
Impact on Communities and Food Security
Gupta warns that residents of riverbank villages are suffering from life-threatening illnesses linked to polluted water. Crops irrigated with this contaminated water are shipped nationwide, affecting food safety across India.
The NGT is expected to take up the matter later this week, potentially setting the stage for a major legal push toward reviving the region’s historic rivers.