A housing colony in Dimapur, Nagaland, has filed an application before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), citing wilful disobedience of the Tribunal’s directions dated February 3, 2023, regarding the closure and relocation of a municipal dumpsite.
The applicant’s colony, Sunrise Colony, requested the relocation of the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) dumpsite to a new location, as it is situated dangerously close to human habitation. The NGT had directed the authorities to carry out the relocation, rehabilitation and recycling of municipal waste at the DMC dumpsite within stipulated timelines.
The timeline given was one year — six months for land acquisition and another six months for shifting the site, to be completed by January 31, 2024.
DMC was also directed to prepare a comprehensive waste management action plan by April 30, 2023, begin source segregation of waste within a month and develop a green belt and buffer zone by September 30, 2023. Further, it was directed to complete the bio-remediation process and the construction of a larger capacity faecal sludge treatment plant by May 31, 2024.
Authorities were also required to fully fence the existing dumpsite, particularly on the side facing the Dhansiri river, to prevent any leachate contamination. The NGT had directed the Chief Secretary of Nagaland to form a committee for the effective execution of these orders.
However, the application dated February 27, 2025, uploaded to the NGT site on July 10, 2025, alleged non-compliance. Despite repeated follow-ups, the applicants claimed that the authorities have not disclosed any updates. RTI responses confirmed that most directions have not been complied with.
The applicant also raised concerns that municipal waste was being buried without processing, in violation of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. Unsegregated waste reportedly continues to be dumped at the site. Moreover, no alternative land has been acquired, and the affidavit of compliance due by July 1, 2024 has not been submitted.
On July 8, 2025, the NGT expressed dissatisfaction with the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying over its inadequate response concerning the protection of Indian fish species in the Yamuna and the spread of exotic species.
While the ministry filed a reply on July 4, 2025, it failed to outline effective remedial measures. It cited financial assistance for restocking native fingerlings at Rs 3 per unit, but could not specify when this activity had occurred.
Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, despite being granted time since March 5, 2025, has still not filed a response. Its counsel stated that the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) would reply on its behalf within two weeks.
The matter is based on a survey by the Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI), Prayagraj, which conducted a three-year study from 2021. It found that environmental changes have led to a decline in Indian fish species and a rise in exotic ones in the Yamuna.
The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has granted in-principle approval to All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, Bhopal to conduct a study on the health effects of air and water pollution caused by thermal power plants and ash-generating industries in Sonbhadra district, Singrauli.
The update was shared by the state pollution board before the NGT on July 8, 2025. The applicant, Singrauli Pradushan Mukti Vahini, referred to a CPCB report dated March 4, 2025, which called for regular monitoring of groundwater for iron, fluoride, nitrates and mercury, detected above permissible BIS drinking water limits.
The applicant also called for provision of safe drinking water in affected areas and treatment of effluents from the Ballia drain before they reach the Rihand reservoir.
The NGT directed the state government and its agencies to implement these recommendations. The tribunal expressed displeasure over the lack of response from the state of Uttar Pradesh, particularly from the chief secretary. Despite the case being listed six times, no reply has been filed.
The Tribunal has summoned the chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh to appear on the next date of hearing, September 9, 2025, and assist the court.
Residents of Sonbhadra have also sought compensation for health problems linked to pollution, alleging that industries have been set up in the region beyond its carrying capacity.