NGT Reviews Arsenic Contamination, Wetland Violations and Sewage Treatment Gaps

India's National Green Tribunal on June 8, 2026 reviewed multiple environmental cases including arsenic contamination in the food chain, flood-level demarcation failures at a Maharashtra lake, and untreated sewage discharge in Panchkula, Haryana, with government agencies detailing monitoring programmes and infrastructure plans in response to tribunal orders. The cases reflect persistent enforcement gaps in food safety, wetland protection, and urban wastewater management.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare submitted a report affirming that it monitors arsenic contamination in the food chain and promotes the System of Rice Intensification and Direct Seeded Rice as practices that reduce groundwater-mediated arsenic uptake. Between 2012 and 2024, approximately 1.5 million hectares have been brought under SRI or DSR cultivation. The Ministry also reported that 25.79 crore Soil Health Cards have been generated and distributed to farmers nationwide under the Soil Health and Fertility Scheme since 2014–15.

In Amravati district, Maharashtra, authorities recommended that the Amaravati Municipal Corporation scientifically prepare flood level maps for Chhatri Talav — a lake — to determine whether 13 structures identified in a 2019 complaint lie within 50 metres of its High Flood Level. The case has been in process since the original complaint, with inspection completed in 2023. The Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority told the NGT it has prepared a proposal for two sewage treatment plants: a 10 MLD plant estimated at Rs 36 crore and a 6 MLD plant approved at Rs 28.49 crore.

The three cases collectively illustrate systemic challenges in India's environmental governance: arsenic risks requiring sustained agricultural practice change across millions of hectares, urban wetland boundaries undefined after years of litigation, and sewage treatment capacity running years behind urbanisation. Land transfer and approval processes between multiple authorities — a recurring bottleneck in the Panchkula STP case — represent structural impediments to timely delivery of environmental compliance infrastructure.

Key figure — 25.79 crore Soil Health Cards distributed to farmers since 2014-15