Bharalu River clean-up: Gauhati HC grants time to government to submit progress report

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: A division bench of the Gauhati High Court comprising Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Suman Shyan granted 10 weeks’ time to the Assam Government for the submission of the progress report regarding the steps it has taken for the implementation of the scheme related to making the Bharalu River pollution-free.

To make the Bharalu River pollution-free, the government has undertaken certain steps. The Department of Housing and Urban Affairs filed an affidavit regarding the interim measures taken to contain pollution in the Bharalu river.

The bench issued directive during the hearing of a suo moto PIL (4/2023) concerning the pollution of the Bharalu, a rivulet that flows through Guwahati city before meeting up with the Brahmaputra at Bharalumukh.

The High Court did register the suo moto PIL on the strength of a letter from Pratap Chandra Das, a former student of Sonaram Higher Secondary School, Guwahati. He raised an important issue regarding the contamination and degradation of the Bharalu River flowing through Guwahati. The petitioner highlighted in his letter that the Bharalu river, which is a tributary to the mighty Brahmaputra river, has been severely polluted as hazardous waste materials have been dumped into the river, which is causing a risk to the health and hygiene of society. It is further alleged that none of the civic bodies entrusted with the task of maintaining the health and hygiene of the dwellers of Guwahati has bothered to put in place proper interventional measures to address the devastating and precarious pollution of the river.

 Also Read: Save Bharalu Abhiyan’s programme stimulates people for cleanup in Guwahati (sentinelassam.com)

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