Lucknow, Dec 23 (IANS): The Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary has been directed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to monitor the measures taken by the state agencies in curbing pollution in the Yamuna.

The NGT said that the steps taken so far were inadequate.

Constituted by the tribunal for monitoring compliance of environmental norms in UP, the committee headed by Justice SVS Rathore, former Judge of the Allahabad High Court at Lucknow, had filed its report on December 15.

It recommended further action to prevent discharge of untreated sewage effluents in the drains connecting river Yamuna which is a major cause for the deteriorating water quality.

The committee further stated that the state authorities must ensure availability of necessary funds. The Mathura Vrindavan Development Authority (MVDA) has to undertake plantation drives and also take steps to clear encroachments. The grievance of the applicant about discharge in Akroor drain needs to be also looked into.

Akash Vashishtha, counsel for the petitioners, Acharya Damodar Shastri and Vijay Kishore Goswami, argued that the situation of the Kosi drain that carries the entire industrial discharge of Kosi town into Yamuna in Vrindavan was not correctly reflected in the Oversight Committee's Report.

"The report observes that there was no water in the drain at the time of inspection. The correct position is that it remains perpetually filled with untreated effluents and sewage," the petitioners claimed.

The recommendations given by the committee stated that the concerned authority may be directed to ensure that the bio/phyto remediation works are done properly to maintain the water quality within the limits, as the quality of water in downstream is poorer than that of upstream indicating clearly that the drains falling in river Yamuna in this span are the cause for polluting the water.