Lucknow, Jan. 11 -- After missing the Supreme Court's February 2020 deadline, Uttar Pradesh has urged the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to give it time till December 31, 2028 to tap its drains flowing into rivers in the state. The state government is preparing to present its case before the NGT's principal bench in New Delhi on the next date of hearing on March 12. The Tribunal has taken a serious note of discharge of sewage water directly into rivers across the state and has sought explanation from the state government for non-compliance of the Supreme Court's directives in this regard. The principal bench, comprising chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A. Senthil Vel, on December 23 last year, expressed concern over continued non-compliance by the state government in implementing the directives of the Supreme Court on liquid waste management. During the hearing, the Tribunal pointed out that the state government has missed the Supreme Court's deadline of February 2020 to tap all drains flowing into rivers in the state. However, the Tribunal did not grant extension and directed the secretary, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Uttar Pradesh, to remain virtually present on the next date of hearing. It allowed the state four weeks' time to file a supplementary affidavit. According to a report submitted by the state government to the NGT, out of a total of 3,396 drains, only 478 were tapped and 22 others were partially tapped. As many as 2,896 were untapped. It further stated that 1,385 drains were flowing into the rivers in 2025, meaning they were discharging untreated sewage in rivers....