Environment

Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (August 9, 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: Friday 09 August 2019
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Polluting industries

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on August 6, 2019 ordered the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (PCB) to recover compensation for damages caused to the environment on the polluter pays principle by industries operating in Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad districts.

The industries were not properly discharging hazardous waste, wastewater and solid waste. They were also withdrawing groundwater illegally as well as using furnace oil and pet coke causing air pollution. 

The tribunal had ordered for the constitution of a joint committee comprising Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and state PCB to furnish a report on the matter. The committee found some units to be non-complaint and made a series of recommendations.

The NGT, while accepting the recommendations, directed the state PCB to take further appropriate action within a month, which should include the assessment and recovery of compensation.

Land encroachment

The NGT on August 6 directed the Chief Secretary of Delhi to look into the issue of encroachment of government land in Haiderpur village, in view of the divergent stand taken by the statutory authorities.

The NGT had, in its December 2018 order, sought a report from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on the matter. It, however, passed on the case to North Delhi Municipal Corporation, which in turn informed the tribunal that the encroachment was on government land and hence it must be removed by the "land owning agency".

Ferro Build Hards agrees to be environmentally compliant

The NGT, on August 6, directed a joint committee of CPCB and UPPCB to verify the claim of compliance of green measures by Ferro Build Hards (I) Pvt Ltd at Prayagraj.

One Praduman Tiwari had approached the NGT with the grievance that the company was disposing medical waste directly into Yamuna river and also by burning it.

A joint report submitted by the CPCB and UPPCB had found shortcomings in the working of the industry including non-segregation of bio-medical waste, non-operating autoclave and emissions from the incinerator not meeting the norms of air quality.

The report also stated that some of the deficiencies were later rectified and Ferro Build Hards was asked to pay an environmental compensation of Rs 8.3 lakh. The committeee also made 15 recommendations to improve the environmental compliance of the plant, which the industry has agreed to comply with.

The NGT has asked the joint committee to check for non-compliance, and which if there's any , take appropriate action and submit a report.

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