JODHPUR, Aug. 8 -- The Supreme Court on Friday directed the state government to constitute, within seven days, an Integrated Coordination Group headed by the Chief Secretary and to establish an independent River Commission/River Rejuvenation Authority for the conservation and restoration of rivers across the State. The Court also ordered the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to intensify its probe into river pollution cases and directed that every person found involved, including public servants, industrial units and office-bearers of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs), be proceeded against in accordance with law. A bench of justice Vikram Nath and justice Sandeep Mehta passed the directions while hearing the suo motu proceedings titled In Re: 2 Million Lives at Risk, Contamination in Jojari River, Rajasthan, along with connected civil appeals. The bench observed, "The material placed before it clearly demonstrates severe degradation of the riverine ecosystem, contamination of water bodies, illegal discharge of industrial effluents, deficiencies in land-use regulation, challenges related to the protection of wildlife habitats and restoration of the affected ecology." It said these issues involve several government departments and cannot be effectively addressed through fragmented departmental interventions. Reviewing the latest SIT report, the bench noted that the investigation had covered 16 criminal cases relating to river pollution in Jodhpur, Pali and Balotra districts and that four FIRs had been registered after the SIT was constituted. The report stated that graver penal provisions had been invoked wherever a prima facie case existed and that investigations were continuing through documentary, oral and digital evidence. The bench, however, expressed concern over the timing of the SIT's action. 'The steps for invocation of graver offences and the arrests were effected only when the matter was nearing the date fixed by this Court. This puts a question mark on the bona fides of the SIT's actions,' the bench observed, while directing the investigating agency to conduct a more deeper probe and examine the complete chain of events, including the role of public servants, industrial entities and private individuals without fear or favour. The order records that the State Government has filed compliance reports detailing action taken after the Court's earlier directions. These include steps relating to scientific assessment of the pink-coloured pond near Tanawada, regulatory action against textile units in the Sanganer area, inspection of the Morel Dam, removal of accumulated wastewater and hazardous sludge, preparation of river restoration blueprints, transfer of ecologically significant land to the. The bench directed that the recommendations made by IIT Jodhpur for the Tanawada pond be implemented expeditiously after approval of the High-Level Ecosystem Oversight Committee. The bench held that effective restoration of the Jojari-Bandi-Luni river system requires scientific determination of the High Flood Line and ecological buffer zones. Until that exercise is completed, it ordered that no fresh permissions for industrial, commercial or residential development within identified river corridors shall be granted by any department or local authority in Rajasthan. The bench further directed that the temporary HRTS facilities at Ambey Valley and Khed should not continue as repositories of industrial wastewater....