The Bhopal-based central bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) to provide clarity on whether pouring milk into a river causes water pollution. The tribunal also sought to know if this practice is regulated by any existing guidelines and, if not, whether specific guidelines should be formulated for such ritualistic activities.
Petition Details
The directive came during a hearing on a petition filed by Siddarth Singh Rajpoot from Satdev village in Sehore district. According to the petition, a religious gathering in his village culminated with a puja of the holy river Narmada, during which organisers poured 11,000 litres of milk into the river and immersed 210 saris.
Environmental Concerns Raised
The petitioner argued that pouring milk into the river violates environmental regulations and harms the river's ecology. He claimed that this practice directly affects aquatic organisms and contaminates the water, thereby contravening the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
Interim Order of NGT
The NGT bench, comprising Justice Sheo Kumar Singh and expert member Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi, issued an interim order stating that although no scientific data on pollution caused by milk pouring has been presented, it is evident that no specific CPCB guidelines explicitly ban the practice under the general prohibition of pollutants in Section 24 of the Water Act. The tribunal noted that the key question is whether milk poured into a river qualifies as a significant organic pollutant that could cause aquatic mortality and deplete oxygen levels in the water.
Need for Scientific Assessment
The tribunal observed that pouring milk into the Narmada during certain rituals has been a subject of online debate and requires serious consideration by the CPCB or MPPCB. It directed that copies of the petition and relevant documents be sent to the regional director of CPCB in Bhopal and the member secretary of MPPCB to obtain expert reports with scientific data on the issue. The authorities were asked to suggest appropriate procedures if guidelines are needed.
The NGT has deferred the next hearing on the petition to July 17, pending submission of the reports.
