Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal
The Supreme Court on January 31, 2024 laid down guidelines for the effective functioning of environmental regulatory bodies and authorities in the country. The bodies, authorities, regulators and executive offices entrusted with environmental duties must function with institutional features, the apex court said.
The composition, qualifications, tenure, method of appointment and removal of the members of these authorities must be clearly laid down, the SC directed. Further, appointments must be regularly made to ensure continuity and these bodies must be staffed with persons who have the requisite knowledge, technical expertise and specialisation to ensure their efficient functioning.
The authorities and bodies must receive adequate funding and their finances must be certain and clear. In addition, they must notify norms for public hearings, the process of decision making, prescription of the right to appeal and timelines, said the SC judgment.
The principal bench of the NGT directed a joint committee to look into compensation for the families of the six people who lost their lives in a fire tragedy in a hand glove manufacturing unit in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, Maharashtra.
The committee, comprising Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board, Collector of Sambhajinagar district and director for industrial safety, Maharashtra, would visit the site, collect relevant information and submit a factual report. For further proceedings, the matter has been transferred to the western zone bench of the NGT.
A media report said the fire broke out in Sunshine factory, which produces cotton and leather gloves. Maharashtra government has declared an ex gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh to families of the deceased but there is nothing to show in the report that any compensation has been paid by the project proponent concerned, the court noted.
The NGT on January 30, 2024 took up the matter of illegal construction and infrastructure development in the core area of Kali Tiger Reserve in Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka.
Counsel for Karnataka stated that the alleged construction has nothing to do with tourism and is a forest department-created protection camp to prevent illegal tree felling in the core area. The counsel requested 15 days to file a response outlining the nature of the construction raised in the affected area.
The NGT gave the respondent 15 days to file a response before transferring the case to the southern zone bench for further proceedings.
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