New Delhi, Feb. 25 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday ended its five-year monitoring of river contamination caused by sewage effluents through a suo motu proceeding, directing all statutory authorities, states, and the Centre to continue filing status reports before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), where similar proceedings are already pending. A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, also comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi, held that specialised tribunals such as the NGT were created to handle such matters. Taking exception to the January 13, 2021 order initiating suo motu cognisance, the bench observed, "It seems to us that instead of initiating suo motu proceedings, this court ought to have asked the NGT to monitor the situation till the desired results are achieved." The court referred to two NGT orders from September 2020 and February 2021, in which the tribunal issued pan-India directions to all statutory authorities to address gaps in sewage and effluent treatment by establishing common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) and sewage treatment plants (STPs). "Is it feasible to take up monitoring of all polluting rivers? The very purpose of creating tribunals was to have expert members decide these issues. After we took suo motu cognisance, probably the NGT was also reluctant to hear the matter. Much water has flowed during the pendency of proceedings in the past five years," the bench remarked. Emphasising the fundamental nature of clean water, the court stated, "Water is a basic need for the survival of human beings and the right to life under Article 21 can be meaningfully served by providing a source of water where there is none." The proceedings originated from a petition by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) seeking to restrain Haryana from discharging pollutants into the Yamuna. The DJB had highlighted dangerously high ammonia levels in the river, which exceeded the treatment capacity of its CETPs and STPs. In response, the court took suo motu cognisance in January 2021 of the broader issue of river contamination by sewage effluents. Additional solicitor general (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, submitted that the government could submit status reports either to the Supreme Court or the NGT. The bench responded, "We are of the view that multiple overlapping proceedings create uncertainty... The orders of the NGT are subject to final review by this court. In light of the above, we are satisfied that it is high time the suo motu proceedings be closed." "The responsibility of the NGT does not come to an end by passing an order. This has to be an ongoing process... it becomes imperative for the tribunal to issue necessary directions from time to time," the bench said. All states, Union government authorities, and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) were directed to submit fresh status reports to the NGT, leaving it to the tribunal to issue further directions. To be sure, NGT had earlier appointed senior advocate Meenakshi Arora as amicus curiae, along with advocate Vanshaja Shukla, to assist in the matter....