UP pollution control board imposes Rs 18 crore fine on Moradabad Municipal Corporation

The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board has directed civic officials in Moradabad to ensure that water in all drains across the city are treated at the earliest.

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The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board has imposed a fine of Rs 18 crore on the Moradabad Municipal Corporation for letting unrefined water from 24 drains flow into the Ramganga river. The board has directed civic officials in Moradabad to ensure that water in all drains across the city are treated at the earliest.

According to regional pollution board official Ajay Sharma, the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board has in March issued directives to the commissioner of the Moradabad Municipal Corporation in this regard.

As per the directive issued in March, warning had been issued concerning the 24 big drains over which the penalty has been imposed. It had said that the water in the drains must be treated before getting merged into the Ramganga river.

However, officials at the Moradabad Municipal Corporation did not pay any heed to the directions. It was later discovered during an inspection that water from only six of the 24 drains were being treated.

The authorities found that water from 18 drains were being deposited into the tributary without undergoing any treatment.

Following the inspection report by the officials of the pollution control body, the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board imposed a fine of Rs 18 crore on the civic body.