Environment

Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (July 24, 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: Wednesday 24 July 2019

Pollution by industry in Raigarh

A new committee would look into and furnish an updated report on pollution caused by industrial units in the Tamnar and Gharghoda blocks of Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed on July 22, 2019.

The operation of thermal power plants and coal washeries had been resulting in the contamination of water, air and land, with adverse impacts on the environment and health of the inhabitants. 

A committee comprising of scientists from the Central Pollution Control Board, the Indian Institute of Technology, Dhanbad, and the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal, had written a report which pointed out certain deficiencies such as mine fires, insufficient green belt, no work on the diversion of the local Bendra nallah and embankments on the river Kelo.

The NGT found the report inadequate, as it did not address issues on the carrying capacity of the area, remediation measures, improved quality of soil, adequacy of the pollution control devices, fly ash management and ambient air quality with regard to PM2.5.

Dumping of construction debris in rivers and forests

Furnish a factual and action-taken report on the measures taken by the Himachal Pradesh government against the dumping of debris and garbage in rivers and forests, the NGT directed the Secretary, Public Works Department, Himachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Himachal Pradesh on July 22, 2019

The tribunal was hearing the case filed by petitioner Rajiv Verma on the dumping of road construction debris by M/s R&B Construction in the Satluj river at Nichar tehsil in Kinnaur district.

Extension of CETP at Unnao

The upgrade of the Common Effluent Treatment Plant at Unnao and Banthar, Uttar Pradesh, which was given a two-year extension because of the NGT's order of July 13, 2017, came up before the tribunal on July 22, 2019. The NGT rejected the appliction and said such an appeal could be availed only before the expiry of two years.

PWM rule compliance

Take further action and meet the gaps regarding the implementation of the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 (PWM Rules), the NGT told the states and Union Territories (UTs) on July 22, 2019.

According to a report filed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on May 30, 2019, the annual reports about the implementation of PWM Rules have not been submitted by the states of Haryana, Jharkhand, Lakshadweep and Mizoram.

In its report, the CPCB has also made further observations and recommendations which included state pollution control boards to ensure that the annual reports are to be submitted to it on July 31 each year along with the action plan.

The NGT also asked the CPCB to monitor the action taken by the states and UTs and furnish its further status report by August 30, 2019.

Subscribe to Daily Newsletter :
Related Stories

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.