NGT issues notice to authorities over discharge of untreated sewage into sea in Vizag

The National Green Tribunal has sought replies from the Central Pollution Control Board and others over 23 drains emptying untreated sewage into the Bay of Bengal in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam.

The green body had taken suo motu cognisance of a newspaper report on the direct discharge of untreated sewage into the sea.

In the October 14 order, a bench of the NGT chairperson Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel said, ''The news item raises substantial issues regarding compliance with environmental norms.'' It stated that according to the report, toxic waste discharged into the sea could eventually enter the food chain.

Asserting that the discharge of untreated sewage into the sea was a clear violation of environmental norms, the tribunal impleaded CPCB, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board and the southern region office of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) as parties or respondents in the matter. ''Let notice be issued to the respondents for filing their response/reply,'' the NGT said, and posted the matter on December 11 before the southern zonal bench in Chennai for further proceedings.