The Bombay High Court on Thursday asked the Nashik divisional commissioner to take a decision on recommendations of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) regarding the pollution caused in river Godavari due to the Shahi Snaan events during the Kumbh Mela last year.
By an earlier order, the high court had appointed NEERI and asked it to form a committee to study the pollution in the river and submit a report. Accordingly, NEERI submitted a report on November 15 last year.
The government pleader informed the court that only a few of the recommendations were accepted. A division bench of justices Abhay and Prakash Naik then asked the Nashik divisional commissioner to ensure that the NEERI recommendations were implemented by the Nashik civic body.
The direction was given during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), filed by social activists Rajesh Pandit and Nishikant Paghare, who had sought directions to clean the river. Previously, the court had restrained the corporation from releasing water for Shahi Snaan without prior permission from the court.
It was claimed by petitioners that water was being wasted at the time of scarcity in the region. The court has now adjourned the matter for hearing on June 24 and directed the civic body to file an affidavit, explaining whether it would accept the recommendations.
