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 held the Ludhiana municipal corporation partly responsible for people dumping solid waste in the Sidhwan canal.
“We find that solid waste collection of municipal corporation is also one of the reason of dumping of garbage of the solid waste into canal,” NGT said February 20, 2023.
The tribunal has questioned the civic body on why environmental compensation cannot be levied for prior defaults.
“Municipal Corporation shall also show as to why it cannot take steps for effective setting up and operation of waste processing facility in accordance with the rules, instead of just dumping it at one or the other place,” the tribunal asked.
The NGT has given the civic body three weeks to file its report to a joint committee findings.
The municipal corporation should also mention the time it required to complete the removal of garbage from the Sidhwan canal bed, shift its waste collection site to another place and regulate encroachments, the NGT added.
The NGT held that the corporation cannot evade the responsibility of payment of environmental compensation on the application of the polluter pays principle.
The NGT has directed a joint committee to investigate the allegations against Sukhbir Agro Energy Limited in Sedha Singh Wala village in Punjab.
The tribunal, on February 20, was responding to a petition alleging that the company has been causing air and water pollution.
The petitioner said the company illegally dumped fly ash in open spaces and near a pond. The unit was making electricity by burning stubble in violation of environmental norms, the application to the NGT said.
The NGT has directed a joint committee to investigate a complaint about a petrol pump operating near a residential area in the village Ajabpurkala Mata Mandi road, Dehradun.
The committee will comprise Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board members and the district magistrate, Dehradun. The NGT directed the committee to visit the site and collect relevant information. If any violation of environmental norms is found, the authorities will take appropriate remedial action.
The NGT was responding to a petition February 20. The petitioner said on both sides of the petrol pump, the requisite space has not been left and fire extinguishers have not been installed. Fire safety measures have been violated. Clearance from the Fire Department has not been obtained.
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