Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) and the district magistrate, Panipat, to investigate alleged environmental violations by the Panipat Thermal Power Plant.
The tribunal was responding to a petition on April 27, 2023. The thermal power plant had failed to manage fly ash and effluents scientifically, said the petitioner.
The agricultural fields adjoining the plant were adversely affected by ash released from an ash dyke. As compensation for such damage, the victims were provided tube-well connections. But the water supply from these wells has now been disconnected due to non-payment of electricity bills, leading to a water crisis.
Additionally, polluted effluent has been contaminating agricultural fields here due to the damage in a pipeline carrying slurry on November 30, 2022. Remedial action has not yet been taken to address this, the petitioner added.
The NGT directed HSPCB and the district magistrate, Fatehabad, to look into the solid waste management in a dump site behind DAV School, Fatehabad. The tribunal directed the authorities to take remedial action while hearing a petition on April 27.
The failure of the Municipal Council, Fatehabad, Haryana and other concerned authorities to manage solid waste dump sites has damaged the environment and public health, the petition alleged.
While hearing another petition on the same day, the NGT directed the district magistrate, Sirsa and HSPCB to probe the alleged improper waste management in Bakriyanwali village.
An integrated waste management plant was set up at the site, which included waste to energy plant. And a considerable amount of money was spent on it, the petitioner said.
Though the plant was non-functional, waste there remained unmanaged, adversely affecting the environment, public health and nearby agricultural land, they added.
A monitoring committee of NGT visited the site on April 19, 2022. It gave some recommendations to the district administration, but no remedial action has been taken, the complainant said.
The NGT directed the district magistrate of Rudraprayag and the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board to look into the disposal of muck generated during the construction of the Semlata-Kafna-Dungra road in Rudraprayag. The NGT was responding to a petition on April 27.
The construction has been going on since 2018. Debris generated from it was being dumped unscientifically, which could detriment the environment and public health, the petitioner said.
The guidelines on this, laid down by the public works department, are not being followed, they added.
Efforts must be taken to ensure untreated sewage and plastic are not discharged and dumped into the river Suswa near Dodwala and Nauka villages in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, the NGT said while responding to a petition on April 27.
The tribunal directed the district magistrate, Dehradun and Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board to investigate the matter and take remedial action where required.
Apart from sewage water, plastic bags were also being dumped in the drain, affecting the environment and public health. The complainant said remedial measures were not taken to address the issue.
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