Environment

Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (August 7, 2019)

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: Wednesday 07 August 2019

Bio-toilets near Narmada Kund

The Supreme Court (SC) on August 2, 2019 directed the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to set up a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) near the Narmada Kund, the source of the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh’s Amarkantak town in Anuppur district, within three weeks.

It also directed the Collector of Anuppur to ensure that periodic visits under his directions were conducted to ensure that the bio-toilets, which are to be built 70 metres from Narmada Kund, are properly maintained and do not become a source of pollution.

The SC’s directions came in response to a hearing it was conducting on a challenge to the March 12, 2019 order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

The NGT had directed the Municipal Council of Amarkantak to build a block of bio-toilets about 100 metres or beyond from the Narmada Kund.

In their submission to the SC, the Municipal Council of Amarkantak said the distance of construction was about 70 metres from the Narmada Kund.

The council added that the toilets had bio-remediation facilities. Therefore, there was no likelihood of any contamination in the near vicinity. Moreover, the bio-toilet system used an anaerobic organism process to treat human excreta by composting or managed anaerobic decomposition.

On May 6, 2019, an application had been submitted to the MPCB for setting up an STP.

Handling of plastic in Delhi

The NGT on August 5, 2019 directed that the measures started by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to contain unscientific handling of plastic by industries in the city were to be continued and a report was to be filed.

The Special Secretary (Environment) of Delhi and Member Secretary, DPCC, had submitted a compliance affidavit on the measures taken.

The DPCC stated that an action plan had been prepared and had been executed. Under it, illegal units operating in residential and non-conforming areas had been sealed.

The Delhi Development Authority had removed 627 tonnes of plastic waste from the Mangolpuri and 400 tonnes of plastic waste from Jahangirpuri had been removed in two days.

The NGT also requested that the Oversight Committee headed by Justice Pratibha Rani, former Judge of the Delhi High Court, to furnish its final report before October 31, 2019.

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