The Supreme Court (SC) on December 5, 2024, directed the senior advocate representing the Union of India to file a compilation of all relevant rules and regulations concerning carbon emissions within two weeks.
The apex court was hearing a matter pertaining to the environmental impact of carbon emissions, necessitating an examination of the legal framework regulating such emissions. The SC appointed Jay Cheema and Sudhir Mishra as amici curiae to assist in this endeavour.
The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) central zone bench on December 5, 2024 issued notices to authorities regarding allegations of illegal construction of a concrete road on land designated for rainwater drainage in Kesarpur village, Alwar, Rajasthan.
The respondents, including the district collector for Alwar, the district conservator of forests for Alwar, the irrigation branch of the water resources department and the assistant director of the horticulture department for Alwar, were directed to file their counter-affidavits within four weeks.
The court was apprised of an article published in the local newspaper Patrika on February 24, 2024, which reported that approximately 4.15 hectares of land owned by the forest department, with a canal or nullah dedicated to rainwater drainage, was being used for illegal road construction. It was further alleged that the concrete road is being used by landowners with plots in the area.
A letter from the deputy conservator of forests to the deputy director outlined the illegal construction on drainage land passing through khasra no. 36. The forest conservator also requested the removal of encroachments on the drainage area.
An RTI application revealed that the khasra no. 36 had been transferred 25 to 30 years ago from the forest department to the horticulture department, Rajasthan. The disputed land now reportedly falls under the irrigation department of the state.
Work at the Kubanoor waste management centre in Kasargod, Kerala, will be completed at the earliest, according to a report filed by the additional secretary of the local self-government department (LSGD), Kerala, on December 9, 2024, to the NGT.
The NGT had, on September 5, 2024, directed that bio-mining work at the site be completed in all respects. The assistant engineer of the LSGD, Mangalpady Gram Panchayat, who is overseeing the bio-mining project, reported that the work could be completed within six months of commencement.
The joint director, LSGD, Kasargod district, confirmed that the tender for the project — part of the 2023-2024 annual plan for Mangalpady Gram Panchayat — had been approved.
A contractor signed an agreement with the panchayat on August 27, 2024 and the site was subsequently handed over for the start of work. The secretary of Mangalpady Gram Panchayat stated that efforts are underway to complete the project as soon as possible.