Environment

Court digest: Major environment hearings of the week (December 6-14)

Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal

 
By DTE Staff
Published: Saturday 15 December 2018
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No polluted waste water to be discharged into Bengaluru water bodies: NGT

National Green Tribunal on December 6 ordered that no polluted waste water be discharged into the water bodies at Bengaluru—Bellandur lake, Agara lake and Varthur lake—and encroachments from catchment areas removed. Further Karnataka SPCB was asked to coordinate with CPCB to set up Real Time Water Quality Monitoring Systems in the three lakes at appropriate locations to monitor parameters which are critical like dissolved oxygen, ammonia and others. Karnataka has been directed to transfer an amount of Rs 500 crores for execution of the action plan within one month and will also deposit a sum of Rs 50 crores by way of interim compensation for restoration of the environment with the CPCB.

NGT stays notification granting EC for minor minerals

Supreme Court in 2012 had directed for proper Environmental Clearance before grant of lease of minor minerals, including sand mining which was further reiterated by NGT's judgement in 2018. But in a notification dated 15/01/2016 issued by MoEF&CC, Environmental Clearance was to be given by the District Environment Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA) which the applicant says defeats the direction of the Supreme Court. Acting upon this the National Green Tribunal on December 11 ordered that the notification will not be acted upon and this direction will apply to all the State Environment Impact Assessment Authorities/State governments.

Ten kms around national parks and sanctuaries to be declared as Eco Sensitive:  SC

The Supreme Court on December 11 expressed its displeasure on being informed that no proposal even after 12 years has been received for 21 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries for declaring areas around them as Eco Sensitive Zones and directed MoEF to declare an area of 10 kms around these national parks and sanctuaries as Eco Sensitive Zones.

Power plants agree to comply with emission norms, SC informed

The Supreme Court on December 10  has been informed that in a meeting attended by representatives of the MoEF, Ministry of Power, Sunita Narain and Ritwick Dutta it was agreed that in terms of the affidavit filed by the power plants, they would comply with the notified emission norms as per the revised schedule by 2022. Further the Court directed the CPCB to place all reports from 2010 onwards (commissioned or ready) on the website of the CPCB so that they are available to the public making them aware of the adverse consequences of air pollution and other environmental pollution.

SC restrains construction activity for Grand Horizon Project in Pune without EC

The Supreme Court on December 7 while setting aside the order of the National Green Tribunal dated 28/09/2018 felt that the order is not consistent with the NGT Order of 24/05/2016 which had restrained any construction activity till Environmental Clearance and necessary permission is obtained. The apex court further directed the concerned parties to appear before the NGT for “fresh decision on the application under consideration on its own merit in accordance with law, after giving opportunities to all concerned”.

NGT directs Meghalaya to comply with Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016

The National Green Tribunal on December 11 directed Meghalaya to furnish a report on the execution of directions for compliance of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 to the Eastern Zone Regional Committee so that the progress in the matter can be monitored appropriately.

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