Pune, 18th July 2026: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed that Maharashtra Chief Secretary and the Secretary of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation under the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti be made parties to the ongoing Pavana River pollution case. The Tribunal has also issued notices to both officials.
The order comes in the petition filed by advocate Krunnal Ghare, who has been pursuing the matter since 2024.
During the hearing, the Tribunal noted that despite repeated communication between different departments, there had been little progress in addressing the river's pollution. It observed that exchanging letters alone had failed to resolve the issues.
To ensure faster action, the NGT directed all concerned authorities to hold a joint meeting within 15 days, resolve the pending technical and administrative issues, and submit a compliance report to the Tribunal.
Advocate Krunnal Ghare argued that the pollution of the Pavana River is not limited to a municipal issue but requires coordinated action by the State Government, Central Government, funding agencies and implementing authorities.
According to him, delays in financial approvals, technical clearances and administrative coordination have slowed the execution of crucial sewage treatment infrastructure needed to restore the river.
He said all stakeholders should work together on a common platform so that pending issues can be resolved through coordinated decision-making instead of prolonged communication between departments.
By bringing the highest administrative authorities of both the State and Central governments into the case, the Tribunal has raised the matter to a higher level of governance. The order is expected to improve accountability, strengthen coordination among agencies and speed up long-pending pollution control measures aimed at rejuvenating the Pavana River.
