Representative image.

LUCKNOW: In the biggest ever action against "defaulter" industries as many as 18 units were sealed and electricity supply to them disconnected in Gorakhpur.

While 16 industries were discharging effluents in the Ami river two electroplating units were discharging effluents in the Rapti river . "The industries were functioning without the pollution control measures in place," said chief environment officer, administration, UPPCB, Dr Rajiv Upadhyay.

Acting on the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), UPPCB took action against the polluting industries under section 33(A) of the Water Pollution (Prevention and Control) Act on Monday and Tuesday. Among the sealed units are paper mills, sugar industries, utensil making units, mobil oil units and others.

The show-cause notices have been issued to at least ten other industries.

The `defaulter' industries that have been sealed exist in the 1km area from the Ami river and were discharging the untreated waste into the river. "In the last one month total 20 defaulter industries have been sealed in the river's catchment area," said Vishwa Vijay Singh of Ami Bachao Manch, the people's movement to save the river.

The group had chief minister Aditya Nath as its convener in the past. Ami is a meandering river originating from Sohanara and flowing through Siddarthnagar, Sant Kabir nagar, Basti and Gorakhpur. The 126-km long river merges with Rapti in Gorakhpur. The river gets domestic, industrial and agriculture waste discharged into it.

The river gets untreated waste from GIDA (Gorakhpur Industrial Development Authority) through a `nullah'. GIDA which was created in 1990-91 but is yet to get funds for a Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP). "Four major polluting industries still exist in the river's catchment area," said Singh.

Ami is the river with historical importance. It has Sohgaura village along its banks which is one of the ancient villages in the country, about 5,000 year old and there is a recoded evidence of it. Sant Kabir had lived and died in Maghar along Ami. His `mazaar' and `samadhi' at Maghar is the spot of communal harmony.

Besides, prince Siddhartha crossed river Anoma (the present day Ami) and exchanged his royal garments for an ascetic robe.

CPCB termed the river `extremely polluted' for the first time in 2011 and NGT started questioning the authorities concerned in 2015.

Yogi had raised the matter of Ami in the Parliament several times. Of late, UP environment directorate has decided to get a study done on the river by an independent agency at the cost of about Rs 20 lakh.

