Why Uttar Pradesh needs to pay Rs 176 crore for polluting the Ganga

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Editor's note: Have you ever visited a beach in India and wondered whether the water is safe enough to dip your feet? Or to go for a swim under a mellow sun? At such times your mind might wander, as mine often does, to news reports about seawater that stinks, is laced with black residue, or is suspiciously translucent or yellow-tinted. When it comes to rivers and lakes in our cities, there is no suspicion—the water is quite obviously deadly. The Ganga, at most ghats lining its banks, has dangerously high levels of faecal coliform, a bacteria originating in human faeces. In fact, the source of most of the pollution in India’s rivers, lakes and seawater is untreated sewage. Even though all sewage is supposed to be treated before it is released. Last week, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued two significant orders that confirm that sewage continues to pollute our water bodies. The orders also offer hope—that there is finally a financial disincentive to our state and local governments releasing untreated sewage. The first order, delivered on 22 November, concerns the …