Governance

Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (June 14, 2022)

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: Tuesday 14 June 2022
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Lapses seen in the treatment and management of industrial wastewater at Dahej

Industrial wastewater is not being treated and managed properly in Dahej, Bharuch district, Gujarat, which is the location of a large industrial zone. This is according to the joint committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to look into wastewater management by industries and the Gujarat Infrastructure Development Corporation (GIDC) at Dahej.

They examined ground, surface and coastal water samples. The committee found contamination of phenolic compounds and other organics in all the three components of water. This indicates the impact of continual discharges, mismanagement of wastewater and sludge in the area.

The wastewater ultimately flows into the estuary of the Narmada river and then into the Gulf of Khambhat.

“Improper management might have resulted in soil and groundwater contamination in the Dahej industrial area," the joint committee report, released June 10, 2022, said.

Lack of suitable funding hampering remediation measures at Ranipet, Tamil Nadu: TNPCB report to the NGT

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has cited shortage of funds as the reason why it has not yet been able to clean up chromium-contaminated sites in Ranipet near Vellore.

The NGT, May 17, 2022, had directed the TNPCB to file a detailed report regarding the remediation measures for restoration of chromium-contaminated sites at M/s Tamil Nadu Chromates and Chemicals Ltd (TCCL), Ranipet.

TCCL operated from 1975-1995 and manufactured products such as sodium biochromate, basic chromium sulphate and sodium sulphate, using chromate ore as the main raw material.

Around 0.22 million tonnes of chromium-bearing hazardous waste generated during process activity is stocked in the backyard of TCCL premises. The leachate generation from the chromium-bearing hazardous waste stockpile has been causing chromium contamination of land and groundwater in the area.

TNPCB said it has made several attempts over a period of time to find out a permanent solution for the decontamination of the TCCL site. However, as the cost of such proposals were on the higher side, the funding source could not be identified, its report to the NGT, said.

In the meantime, the contamination has continued to spread over a larger area and TNPCB has decided to go ahead with the interim measure approved by the Central Pollution Control Board.

This is only a temporary arrangement, till the implementation of the permanent remedial measures and identifying the source of funding to minimise further contamination, the report said.

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