Ludhiana, Aug. 15 -- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the officials concerned to ensure that no garbage is dumped on the banks or in the waters of Sidhwan Canal and to carry out regular cleaning of its bed and banks. The order came as the Tribunal disposed of a petition filed over pollution and solid waste in the canal.

The Tribunal has asked the authorities to prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) within three months to ensure strict compliance with these directions. It also stressed that cleaning should not be a one-time exercise but a continuous process.

In its order, the NGT observed that during the hearing of the petition, the canal was cleaned and encroachments were removed, but photographs submitted by the pe...