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) directed the formation of a two-member committee on January 15, 2024 to investigate allegations of environmental rule violations in the handling of chemical and biomedical waste in Narsinghpur, Madhya Pradesh.
The court stipulated that the examination of compliance with the Biomedical Waste Management Rules of 2016 necessitates the following information:
Additionally, information is required regarding actions taken by the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board and the Chief Medical Officer in response to non-compliance with biomedical waste management rules. This includes the remedial measures necessary and the actions already taken.
It has been alleged that all chemical and biomedical waste collected within the city is indiscriminately discarded into the Burman River, which subsequently flows into River Narmada. It was further claimed that this waste permeates the Narmada River, leading to various diseases and pollution of the river, which also serves as the city's drinking water source.
On January 11, the Eastern Bench of the NGT directed that notices be issued to the concerned authorities regarding the filling of a waterbody in Salt Lake, Kolkata, for construction purposes.
Notices were to be served to the Principal Secretary of the Department of Environment, West Bengal; Principal Secretary of the Department of Fisheries; West Bengal Pollution Control Board; Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation; and the District Magistrate of North 24 Parganas.
All respondents were instructed to submit their counter affidavits within four weeks, with the next hearing scheduled for February 7, 2024.
This matter was initiated suo motu following a news article published in the newspaper The Times of India on January 5, 2024, titled "14-cottah Mahisbathan pond turns into field, BMC steps in, Kolkata, West Bengal". According to the report, the pond in Salt Lake was filled within a week to facilitate construction activities, with waste and debris being used for filling.
On January 11, NGT directed a two-member committee comprising a senior scientist from the Bihar State Pollution Control Board and the district magistrate of Jahanabad, Bihar to investigate the issue of garbage dumping in the Dardha River in the city.
The committee members are required to visit the specific site in question and submit their report within four weeks, as per the court's instructions.
Furthermore, the NGT directed the issuance of notices to the Principal Secretary of the Department of Environment, Bihar, and the Bihar State Pollution Control Board, among others.
This suo motu case was taken up based on a news report published in the Hindustan newspaper on November 26, 2023, which highlighted the increasing pollution levels in the city of Jahanabad, due to the dumping of garbage into the Dardha River. The report revealed that untreated water from city drains flowed directly into the river, along with chemicals and medical waste from small domestic industries.
The Bihar State Pollution Control Board was criticised for its lack of action in protecting the Dardha River. Additionally, due to administrative negligence and a lack of public awareness, land mafia were constructing concrete structures right up to the riverbed, exacerbating the issue.
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