Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has observed that pollution in the Godavari River is not confined to Telangana alone but concerns all riparian states along its course.

The bench advised the petitioner to approach the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for suitable remedies on the issue.

The observation came during a hearing of a public interest litigation filed by A Sampath Kumar from Mancherial district, who challenged the inaction of authorities despite increasing pollution levels in the river waters.

The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Aparsh Kumar Singh and Justice G M Moinuddin, took up the matter on Wednesday.

Petitioner’s arguments

The petitioner’s counsel argued that several industries established across the Godavari basin were releasing pollutants and industrial effluents directly into the river, endangering the ecosystem and public health.

After hearing the arguments, the bench noted that the NGT has the authority to seek expert reports, identify affected communities, and order compensation.

It therefore directed the petitioner to approach the tribunal for further action and disposed of the PIL accordingly.