New Delhi, July 25 -- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has raised concerns over the classification of several rivers in Uttar Pradesh as drains in official records related to the Ganga pollution control efforts.

During a hearing in the long-standing environmental case concerning the cleaning and rejuvenation of the Ganga, the Tribunal expressed displeasure at the trend of misrepresenting natural rivers as drains, warning that such practices could have long-term environmental consequences.

The matter was heard by a Principal Bench comprising Justice Prakash Shrivastava (Chairperson), Justice Sudhir Agarwal, and Dr. A. Senthil Vel.

The Bench was presented with data showing that several water bodies, traditionally recognised as rivers, h...