SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

Before:- Y.K. Sabharwal and Tarun Chatterjee, JJ.

Writ Petn. (Civil) No. 327 of 1990. D/d. 27.4.2005.

Vineet Kumar Mathur - Petitioner

Versus

Union of India and others - Respondents

For the Petitioner :- P.H. Parekh, Advocate.

For the Respondents :- Ashok Bhan, Hemant Sharma, Mrs. Anil Katiyar, S.W. A. Qadri, Kamlendra Mishra, Rajeev Kumar Dubey, Ms. Rashmi Singh, Ghanshyam Joshi, Sanjiv Kr. Saxena, Partha Sil, Ajay K. Agrawal, Mrs. Alka Agrawal, Ms. Anamika Agrawal, Vijay Panjwani, Shri Narain, Sandeep Narain, Ms. Anjali Jha, Arvind Minocha, K.K. Mohan, Pradeep Misra, Sushil Kumar Jain, S.C. Birla, Shrish Kumar Misra, Mrs. Lalita Kaushik, S. Muralidhar, Shakil Ahmed Syed, Vishwajit Singh, Advocates.

Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, Section 3 - Environment protection - Water pollution - National River Conservation plan - Pollution abatement of river Gomti - National River Conservation Directorate filed affidavit, stating progress of work in lucknow is slow - Government of U.P is directed to respond to the affidavit and place on record the status report as to the works done at the allocation of the amounts along with affidavit.

[Para 2]

ORDER

Affidavits have been filed on behalf of the National River Conservation Directorate, Ministry of Environment and Forests, and the State of U. P. Copy of the affidavit filed on behalf of the State of U. P. was handed over to Mr. P. H. Parekh, learned amicus curiae only today. We direct that henceforth copies of all documents and affidavits, intended to be filed, shall be supplied by the parties in advance to the learned amicus curiae before filing the same. Learned amicus curiae prays for an adjournment to look into these affidavits and give suggestions in order to check the pollution in river Gomti.

2. In the affidavit filed by the National River Conservation Directorate, it has been, inter alia, stated that works amounting to Rs. 310.67 crore have already been sanctioned under the National River Conservation Plan for pollution abatement of river Gomti from Lucknow, the major polluting town along the river but the progress of work in Lucknow is slow and needs to be expedited by U.P. Jal Nigam in order to arrest the pollution to river Gomti from the town. The Government of U.P. is directed to respond to the affidavit filed on behalf of the Ministry of Environment and Forests and shall also place on record the status report as to the works done after the allocation of the amounts, along with an affidavit, by 15th July, 2005.

3. The personal appearance of the technical officer is dispensed with till further orders.

4. The matter is adjourned.

Order accordingly.