Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal
Won't change landfill buffers, says NGT
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on July 8, 2019 refused to change the 500-metre buffer zone the Rajasthan’s Balotra Water Pollution Control Treatment & Research Foundation Trust needs to maintain from treatment, storage and disposal facility to 200 metres. The trust had argued that such a condition was outside the scope of the guidelines under the Hazardous and Other Wastes Management Rules, 2016.
“Some seepage was observed and there is a history of breaches of such structures in Balotra and Bithuja. This indicates that these structures are not very stable and possibilities of breaches in future cannot be ruled out,” read a report by the State Pollution Control Board, which had inspected the site on May 11, 2019,
Waste dumping at wetlands
The tribunal directed Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation on July 8, 2019 to file a compliance report by August 27 on the fence it was asked to make around Mollar Bheri to ensure solid waste is not dumped in East Kolkata Wetlands. The NGT is also expecting a report investigating the matter by a committee that’s supposed to inspect the wetlands. The East Kolkata Wetland Authority was directed to be the nodal agency for coordination.
Mining near Uttarakhand bridges
The Supreme Court on July 3, 2019 overruled an Uttarakhand high court order, banning mining activities within a kilometer upstream or downstream of river bridges in the state. The HC had ordred this while hearing a case of encroachment on river beds. "The aforesaid part of the relief granted by the High Court is beyond the pleadings of the parties," read the SC order.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
.png)
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.