River Rejuvenation Committee has been constituted by the Forest and Environment Department in Govt. of Odisha vide Notification No. 24426 dated 12.11.2018 which will function under the overall supervision and coordination of Additional Chief Secretary, Forest and Environment Department.
Hon’ble National Green Tribunal has issued directions in case No. 673/2018 dated 20.09.2018 (case titled “More river stretches are now critically polluted-CPCB” to constitute River Rejuvenation Committee (RRC) to prepare action plans for the polluted river stretches identified by CPCB.
All States and Union Territories were directed to prepare action plans within two months for bringing all the polluted river stretches to be fit at least for bathing purposes (i.e BOD ˂ 3 mg/L and FC ˂ 500 MPN/100 ml) within six months from the date of finalisation of the action plans.
The action plans may be prepared by four-member Committee comprising, Director, Environment., Director, Urban Development., Director, Industries., Member Secretary, State Pollution Control Board of concerned State. This Committee will also be the Monitoring Committee for execution of the action plan. The Committee may be called ‘’River Rejuvenation Committee’’ (RRC). The RRC will function under the overall supervision and coordination of Principal Secretary, Environment of the concerned State/Union Territory.
All States and Union Territories are required to send a copy of Action Plan to CPCB especially w.r.t Priority I & Priority II stretches for approval.
The States and the Union Territories concerned are directed to set up Special Environment Surveillance Task Force, comprising nominees of District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police, Regional Officer of State Pollution Control Board and one person to be nominated by District Judge in his capacity as Chairman of Legal Services Authority on the pattern of direction of this Tribunal dated 07.08.2018, in Original Application No. 138/2016 (TNHRC), “Stench Grips Mansa’s Sacred Ghaggar River (Suo-Motu Case).
The Task Force will also ensure that no illegal mining takes place in river beds of such polluted stretches.
The RRC will have a website inviting public participation from educational institutions, religious institutions and commercial establishments.
The RRCs will have the authority to recover the cost of rejuvenation in Polluter Pays Principle from those who may be responsible for the pollution, to the extent found necessary.
The Chief Secretaries of the State and Administrators/ Advisors to Administrators of the Union Territories will be personally accountable for failure to formulate action plan, as directed.
The RRCs will send progress reports by e-mail at " filing.ngt@gmail.com " on or before 15.12.2018
Criteria And Priority Category Of Polluted river stretches
Identification Of Polluted river stretches
The stretches of rivers not meeting with the criteria are identified as polluted stretches and categorized in five priority classes.As the level of BOD varies widely in river stretches the same are prioritized in five categories based on BOD concentration consistently exceeding to BOD levels>30 mg/l, BOD between 20&30 mg/l, BOD between 10&20 mg/1, BOD between 6-10 mg/1 and BOD between 3&6 mg/l.
Criteria for prioritization
The rivers have been prioritized based on the concentration of BOD in five classes from priority I to V.The criteria of each priority are elaborated indicating the concentration range of BOD in mg/l.
Criteria for priority I
Monitoring locations exceeding BOD concentration 30 mg/1, which has been considered as the standard of sewage treatment plant and in river it appears without dilution. (River locations having water quality exceeding discharge standards for BOD to fresh water sources)
Criteria for priority II
Monitoring locations having BOD between 20-30 mg/l.
Criteria for priority III
Monitoring locations having BOD between 10-20 mg/l.
Criteria for priority IV
Monitoring locations having BOD between 6-10 mg/l.
Criteria for priority V
Monitoring locations having BOD between 3-6 mg/l.