Noida: Concerned over reports of untreated effluents flowing from Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad into the Yamuna, the Supreme Court on Thursday appointed senior advocate K Parmeshwar as amicus curiae to help frame a comprehensive treatment plan before discharge.A bench of justices Manoj Mishra and Manmohan was hearing civil appeals filed by the Noida Authority and the Delhi Jal Board. The appeals challenge a 2022 order of the National Green Tribunal imposing Rs 150 crore as environmental compensation for failing to prevent sewage inflow into the Kondli canal, which ultimately drains into the Yamuna.The court directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to identify all relevant authorities involved in addressing the issue and to help frame a coordinated response. It also ordered that the State of Haryana be added as a party and asked to submit a report detailing steps taken to prevent effluent discharge into the Yamuna or its tributaries.Referring to the tribunal’s findings, the bench noted that the issue concerns pollution in an irrigation canal in Noida that feeds into the Yamuna and eventually the Ganga, highlighting the failure of authorities in Delhi, Ghaziabad and Noida to contain the problem. Given the interlinked nature of these regions, the court observed, untreated waste from multiple jurisdictions can easily enter shared water systems.“A comprehensive plan for treatment of effluent and sewage is the need of the hour to ensure that these rivers, which are national assets, remain protected,” the bench said, noting the challenges of coordinating data and action across multiple agencies. “In such circumstances, we deem it appropriate to appoint a senior advocate, Supreme Court of India, K Parmeshwar, to assist us as an amicus curiae in the matter,” the bench ruled.The court also reviewed an affidavit filed by the Uttar Pradesh government following its February 24 order. It noted that authorities had cleared encroachments from the site identified for a proposed sewage treatment plant (STP). However, it raised concerns over delays in the project’s execution.“What surprises us is that the site for the STP has been made available now in 2026, but it appears that an agency for setting up the STP at the site was shortlisted sometime in the year 2024. The date of start of the project envisaged earlier was Oct 4, 2024, and now the date of completion has been extended to March 30, 2028. The aforesaid project proposes to treat 66 MLD of sewage water,” the bench said.The court questioned whether this capacity would be sufficient, given the likelihood that sewage volumes may have increased over time. It said the adequacy of the proposed treatment infrastructure must be examined.The matter will next be heard on April 29.
