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Pollution affecting Punjab’s water bodies came up before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on February 4, 2025.
The original application, registered suo motu, noted that a news item published in The Tribune had reported the identification of over 1,200 sources of pollution that were affecting the state’s water bodies.
The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) constituted a committee to gather information and prepare a status report on the matter. The PPCB informed the court that information sought from different departments is awaited. It requested two months’ time for filing the final status report.
As per the information received from the Department of Water Resources, Punjab, there are 2,034 pollution sources in 37 divisions of Punjab, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said in its reply. Of these, 640 pollution sources have been removed, and 1,394 pollution sources are yet to be removed.
The CPCB report further stated that a comprehensive action plan has been prepared for the rejuvenation of the identified DRS by the River Rejuvenation Committee (RRC) constituted by the respective state governments/Union Territories. But the report does not disclose in clear terms the extent of implementation of the river action plan in Punjab. CPCB submitted that it will file a further comprehensive report within four weeks.
The NGT will next hear the case on May 14, 2025.
The NGT on February 3, 2025, directed Maharashtra’s Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health to file reply on the blast in a Nagpur ordnance factory.
The CPCB; Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB); Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Nagpur; Munitions India Ltd and district magistrate, Nagpur were also directed to file their response by way of affidavit before the western zonal bench of the NGT one week before the next date of hearing (April 4, 2025).
A massive explosion at the ordnance factory Bhandara (OFBA) near Nagpur had resulted in the death of at least eight workers and injuries caused to five others.
The blast occurred in a unit manufacturing low temperature plastic explosive, where 13 workers, including two apprentices, were present at the time. The explosion’s magnitude was so immense that it reduced the facility to rubble, trapping workers beneath the debris.
It was reported that the factory, now under Pune-based Munitions India Ltd, is a key defence unit producing high-energy explosives like RDX and HMX for various ammunition types. While production was halted in the affected unit, the rest of the factory remained operational.
The NGT on February 4, 2025, directed the deputy conservator of forest (Kalsi, Dehradun) and other authorities of Uttarakhand Forest Department to ensure that no illegal felling of trees takes place in the implementation of the cold storage project initiated by Mandi Samiti, Vikasnagar.
The court also directed the concerned authorities to file their response at least one week before the next date of hearing (May 14, 2025).
An applicant had alleged an apprehension of felling of 18-32 mango trees during the implementation of the cold storage project.
The applicant had submitted that as per the earlier report, there were 32 mango trees existing at the site. Page 17 of the joint inspection report also noted that 32 mango trees were standing on the site and before starting the project, there should be no tree at the site.
The applicant also referred to the auction notice related to the open auction of 18 standing trees. He submitted that in the meanwhile, on January 14, 2025, 18 trees have been cut but 14 trees are still remaining. He added that no permission from the competent authority was taken for the felling of these mango trees.