A three-judge bench headed by Justice G B Pattanaik said, "The monitoring committee will certainly try its best to achieve maximum results in the matter of giving unpolluted drinking water to citizens of Agra and those who visit the heritage city and provide a good sewerage system and take adequate measures for disposal of solid waste."

The committee under the chairmanship of commissioner of Agra division will consist of district magistrate, chief medical officer, a representative of Uttar Pradesh pollution control board, petitioner D K Joshi, superintendent engineer of Yamuna action plan and dedicated social worker of the city Shri Raman, the bench said in its brief judgement. The court directed UP Government to issue a notification setting up the committee within three months.

Joshi, in his petition, had alleged that the drinking water of Agra city was extremely polluted, the water being contaminated, filthy and totally unhealthy for human consumption.

The court pulled up the state government saying though certain steps were taken for supply of drinking water, providing adequate sewerage and drainage system and providing measures for disposal of solid waste in the city of Agra, these were by no stretch of imagination, adequate in relation to the necessity of the city.

On the orders of the court, National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur, had submitted a report indicating long term measures which could be taken in relation to supply of drinking water as well as sewerage and drainage system and disposal of solid waste in Agra.

Justice Pattanaik, writing the judgement for the bench said, "We think it appropriate to issue certain directions to be complied with by the state and appoint a monitoring committee which can look into the effective functioning of the several public authorities responsible for supply of drinking water, providing sewerage and providing adequate measures for disposal of solid waste."

The court authorised the monitoring committee to take help of another person, whom it thinks necessary including NEERI, to expeditiously implement reports submitted by NEERI.

It also empowered the committee to examine the money that was being spent in each of the projects and ensure proper utilisation of money.

"If the committee feels that any action is required to be taken by the state government in respect of some officers or some organisation of the state, the committee can recommend the same to the Chief Secretary to the state of Uttar Pradesh, who shall thereafter take appropriate action, as is required under law," the bench said.