Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (July 2, 2025)

Land levelled unlawfully for stone crusher in Mandwara

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) July 2, 2025 directed the Member Secretary of the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (HPSPCB) to look into the complaint of miners levelling land in Mandwara village in Himachal Pradesh's Una district for the purpose of setting up of a stone crusher. The complainant said that requisite permission has not been taken and trees have been cut while levelling the land.

The court was informed that the applicant had already filed a complaintt to HPSPCB on February 21, 2025, as well as to the director, Department of Environment, Science Technology & Climate Change, Himachal Pradesh. That complaint was forwarded to the member secretary, HPSPCB. But no action has been taken so far.

The court stated that the claim presented by the applicant in the application needs to be verified on-site, and if it is confirmed to be true, the member secretary of the HPSPCB must take the necessary action.

The matter is already pending before the member secretary, HPSPCB as the complaint dated February 21, 2025 made by the applicant has not been examined till now and another complaint made to the director, department of environment, science technology & climate change, Himachal Pradesh has been referred to the member secretary. In these circumstances, the tribunal said that the matter needs to be looked into at this stage by the member secretary, HPSPCB.

NGT July 2, 2025 disposed of the application directing the Member Secretary, HPSPCB to duly consider the grievance of the applicant and also one which has been forwarded by the Director, Department of Environment, Science Technology & Climate Change, Himachal Pradesh as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of two months. 

To ascertain the truthfulness of the allegation, the Member Secretary, HPSPCB should carry out the spot inspection and will also ascertain, if the miners have the requisite clearances and permissions, the NGT order said.

Restoration & rehabilitation of River Khokhari

The restoration and rehabilitation plan for River Khokhari has been set forth with clear factual and technical details, the report submitted by the district magistrate, Shamli, Uttar Pradesh before NGT stated.

An application was filed before NGT raising the issue of pollution and degradation of Khokhari, a rain-fed tributary of River Yamuna, in Shamli and Saharanpur districts of Uttar Pradesh.

The seasonal Khokhari originates in the village of Chausana Jadid, which falls under the development block Unn and then traverses through several villages such as Chausana, Gurjarpur, Jijaula, Kala Mazra, Kamalpur and Nai Nangla Sakauti, before merging with Yamuna at Majra Khwajapura in Kabirpur village. 

Following NGT's directive, a joint committee was set up by the office of the district magistrate, comprising the sub-dvisional magistrate of Shamli and the block development officer of Unn. The committee was mandated to rejuvenate the Khokhari by preparing an action plan which included detailed provisions for marking, removal of encroachments and excavation. 

As part of the process, the block development officer (BDO) of Unn generated 50 MNREGA IDs under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to facilitate the renovation and excavation work. An estimate for the proposed work under MGNREGA was calculated at Rs 288.06 lakh.

However, due to the extensive period estimated for the completion of work (eight years) under the MGNREGA scheme, compounded by the insufficiency of available human resource, it was determined that executing the project via MGNREGA was inappropriate. 

Accordingly, an alternative proposal for mechanised excavation was developed, for which the BDO was provided an estimate of Rs 564.455 lakh to complete the excavation work. 

Reports from the District Panchayat Raj officer indicated that 16 drains from various Gram Panchayats discharge domestic wastewater into the Khokhari river. To address the issue, an estimate of Rs.15.874 lakh has been provided for the construction of 16 filter chambers and two waste stabilisation ponds. 

The report said that apart from a few permanent constructions, a majority of the Khokhari river corridor is free from encroachments and that any encroachments present would be removed in conjunction with the excavation work. 

The Divisional Forest Officer has recommended a tree plantation initiative along the river banks with an estimated allocation of Rs 112.498 lakh to facilitate ecological restoration through afforestation. The proposal has been sent to the State Mission for Clean Ganga, Lucknow. The tree plantation drive will start in July and around 15,000 trees will be planted.

The report also stated that notices were issued to 27 persons belonging to Sakauti village and seven from Chausana village who had encroached the river bank for immediate removal of such encroachments. 

The report of June 14, 2025 was uploaded to the NGT website July 2, 2025. 

Garbage burning in Pune

The western bench of NGT directed Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) July 2, 2025 to file a reply within a period of two weeks on steps taken to curb garbage burning. 

The applicant had sought execution of the NGT order dated May 29, 2024, whereby directions were issued to the deputy commissioner, Solid Waste Management Department, Pune Municipal Corporation to conduct review of garbage burning measures on a monthly basis.

Further, whatever action that would be taken should be posted on the website of PMC for public purposes. The court was informed that PMC has not complied with the directive.