Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal
PCB to submit fresh report on Vapi industrial cluster
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on May 13, 2019 directed the Expert Committee looking into pollution of river Daman Ganga and drain Bill Khadi in district Valsad in Gujarat due to discharge of untreated polluting industrial effluents by more than 500 industrial units in Vapi Industrial cluster to submit a report.
The Committee has been directed to make calculations based on actual period of pollution during five years preceding 26.02.2018, the date on which this application was filed—26.02.2013. The Committee has to take into account the category under which the industry falls (red, orange and green) and correlate the compensation to be recovered to the cost of restoration. The Gujarat Pollution Control Board has been asked to list all the polluting units and the order clearly stated that “if cost of restoration is not recovered from polluters, the regulator and not the victim should be responsible for the loss.” The Committee has been asked to submit the report within two months.
More needs to done: NGT to Lakshadweep on solid waste issues
A status report filed before the NGT by Lakshadweep came up for consideration on May 14, 2019 on the status of compliance of orders of the Tribunal on the subject of solid waste management and allied issues. The report states that 44 waste assessment workers and 330 sweepers are working under the schemes ‘Sanitation, Health and Hygiene and “Non-Biodegradable Waste Collection and Scientific Disposal”. For Swachh Lakshadweep Abhiyan consisting of 18 components an amount of Rs 7.45 crore was allotted for each of the component. Further, no plastic manufacturing units are working in the territory.
NGT said that the steps required to be taken under Rule 22 of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 have not yet been fully completed as also for plastic waste management and bio-medical waste management.
Taking note of the articles published in the media, the Court said that until 2016 Lakshadweep had no Sewage Treatment Plant and discarded plastic was affecting the coral reefs while on land they hindered the root growth of coconut trees and rainwater circulation.
Construction at Chunsali at the banks of Brahmaputra to be probed
Large-scale construction of buildings and other activities are taking place at Sristinagar, Chunsali and Guwahati in Assam. Chunsali is a place at the bank of the river Brahmaputra which is ecologically fragile and sensitive and requires protection.
This case came up for hearing before the NGT on May 14, 2019 and it was decided that a notice be issued to the Government of Assam, Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority, Guwahati Municipal Corporation, Assam Pollution Control Board and M/s. Sristinagar Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited.
Submit report on Zig Zag technology for brick kilns or face action: NGT to West Bengal
The NGT on May 14 expressed its displeasure at the delay by the West Bengal government in submitting the report on introduction of Zig Zag technology for brick kilns in the state and gave two months more time for furnishing the report and said that failure to do so would lead to coercive action including payment of heavy penalty.
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