NGT Demands Explanation from NMCG Over Tapping Ganga Tributary in Varanasi

• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought an explanation from the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) for allegedly violating rules by tapping the Asi river, a tributary of the Ganga, in Varanasi.
• The NGT bench, led by Justice Prakash Shrivastava, is hearing a plea concerning the discharge of domestic sewage and untreated industrial waste into the Ganga.
• The state of Uttar Pradesh submitted a plan detailing the status of tapped/untapped drains in Varanasi and Chandauli, which identified the Asi river as a drain.
• The tribunal highlighted that tapping a Ganga tributary is not permitted under the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016.
• NMCG is required to explain how it permitted the tapping of the Asi river, and the state must provide a timeline for 100% household sewage connectivity in Varanasi. The next hearing is on April 21.