The Supreme Court (SC) on September 16, 2025, directed a three-member Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) to conduct audit of eight common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) and their member units of 457 and 27 integrated effluent treatment plants (IETPs) operating in the Tirupattur, Vellore and Ranipet districts of Tamil Nadu. The audit has to be carried out in accordance with the report filed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The SC directed that two members from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras should be nominated and V Nagarajan, principal, Jansons Institute of Technology, Coimbatore would be a member of the EAC.
The apex court directed that the audit should be undertaken by the members of the panel every six months. The first audit report should be placed before the court within a period of six months. After looking into the report, the SC would decide with what frequency the audit should be undertaken.
As far as the uploading of the data is concerned, the SC permitted the petitioner Vellore District Environment Monitoring Committee to demand for the same from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) as well as from the committee headed by Justice M Sathyanarayanan. As and when such a demand is made, the necessary information should be provided to the petitioner, the order said.
Tamil Nadu should provide adequate infrastructure to facilitate convening of the panel’s meetings and storage of records among other things, the court said. If the committee requests for any other help for its smooth functioning, the state should immediately look into the request and do the needful.
The matter related to periodic monitoring of the functioning of the CETP/IETP.
The court also looked into the compliance affidavit filed by the CPCB on August 28, 2025. The CPCB report said TNPCB convened a meeting with the CPCB and CSIR-NEERI on August 22, 2025, to finalise the study on environmental audit of CETPs, member units of CETPs and IETPs operating in Tirupattur, Vellore and Ranipet districts.
The TNPCB informed during the meeting that a letter was addressed to both CSIR-CLRI and CSIR-NEERI on August 18, 2025, to conduct an environmental audit.
In response to the TNPCB letter, only CSIR-NEERI expressed an interest to carry out the audit. In the meeting, TNPCB officials explained the inputs given by the Vellore District Environment Monitoring Committee and also discussed the existing system of monitoring carried out.
The CPCB officials provided technical suggestions to carry out the environmental audit study with respect to water balance and salt balance. CPCB said an audit of 8 CETPs and their member units of 457 and 27 IETPs operating in Tirupattur, Vellore and Ranipet districts should be carried out. In case of CETP performance evaluation or auditing, the member units must also be audited in parallel, CPCB recommended.
CPCB said the aim was not just documenting existing deficiencies but to also put in place a robust framework of compliance, monitoring, and accountability. “The emphasis on comprehensive audits, scientific water and salt balance studies, energy efficiency checks, and verification of chrome recovery systems are aimed towards pragmatic approach in achieving environmentally safe operations of tanneries”.
The measures are designed to ensure that the problem of untreated or inadequately treated effluent is addressed at its root, thereby securing long-term environmental safeguards for the affected districts, the CPCB report said.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT)’s central bench on September 16, 2025, directed a two-member committee to look into the allegations levelled against a 100 kilolitre per day (KLD) ethanol plant in Bhopalpura village of Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district.
The committee would comprise one representative from Sri Ganganagar and another from the Rajasthan Pollution Control Board (RPCB). The committee was directed to visit the site and submit the factual and action taken report.
The matter related to operation of a grain-based ethanol power plant in close proximity to a residential area by Karvijya Ethnoxy Private Limited (KEPL) in Bhopalpura.
The company had obtained environmental clearance (EC) on March 3, 2022, for the establishment of a 100 KLD ethanol plant with a 3MW co-generation power plant under the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme.
However, the said project was categorised as ‘B2’ under the EIA Notification, thereby exempting it from mandatory public hearing, despite its sensitive location near residential, educational, and agricultural zones.
It was stated that on commencement of operations in 2024, the ethanol power plant has caused severe air, water, and noise pollution in the vicinity. Heavy ash is being emitted from chimneys, contaminating air and agricultural fields.
Thick smoke emissions are degrading air quality. Unbearable noise pollution is disrupting local schools and public life. Wastewater is being discharged into nearby drains and fields, in blatant violation of the Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) requirement. Excessive extraction of groundwater has led to depletion of local water resources, the complaint said.
Photographic evidence, videos, medical reports and representations have been submitted by the villagers highlighting the health and environmental damage suffered by the local population including respiratory and skin diseases, crop failure, and depletion of drinking water sources and repeated complaints and protests by the village residents have failed to evoke any remedial action from statutory authorities.
The unit is operating in gross violation of conditions of environmental clearance and causing health hazards including untreated release of CO2, improper ash disposal directly into the air, illegal wastewater discharge and ground water extraction beyond approved limits.
The NGT on September 16, 2025, directed a three-member committee to submit a factual and action taken report on allegations of encroachment of forest land in Jaipur.
The court directed the constitution of a three-member committee after going through a news report published in the Times of India dated July 17, 2025, and titled Illegal commercial activities found at ropeway station on forest land in Jaipur.
The tribunal directed the committee to visit the site and submit the factual and action taken report. The forest department must file a status of the forest. In case any encroachment is found on forest area/land, necessary action for removal of the encroachment or protection of the forest land must be initiated according to rules.
RPCB said its officials had visited the site in compliance of the NGT order dated July 23, 2025. The report is under preparation after inspection. Two weeks’ time was sought to file the reply, which was accepted.