Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal
Dumping of waste in Palwal
The pond in Meghpur village of Palwal district in Haryana was not used as a dumping station for municipal waste by the Municipal Council of Palwal, a report submitted by the district magistrate in compliance of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order of September 25, 2019, said.
The report, made available to the public online on May 6, 2020, stated that “khasra no. 27 which is reserved land for Johar/pond is not subject to any encroachment by Municipal Council, Palwal and the same is properly demarcated and Municipal Council, Palwal does not use it as dumping station.”
However, the council was dumping municipal waste near it and that issue is under the “active consideration” of the NGT in a seprate case. Efforts are being made to treat the municipal waste to provide a long-lasting solution.
Protect Yamuna flood plain: NGT
The NGT on May 5 directed the district magistrate of Mathura to take appropriate action in the matter of constructions illegally taking place on the floodplain and riverbed of the Yamuna in Vrindavan.
The court said that it was “necessary to devise an appropriate mechanism to ensure that no such constructions take place in the flood plain zone so that the flow of the river is not in any manner adversely affected.”
The order was in response to the report filed by the magistrate, alongwith the report of the Mathura Vrindavan Development Authority to the effect that the area was in the control of the irrigation department and that no construction was permitted there.
Some temporary huts had been constructed. The public works department had started construction of a semi-circle type bridge near Keshi Ghat which was removed on the orders of the Allahabad High Court. Earlier, a temple was constructed illegally against which proceedings have been initiated. Temporary huts are removed from time to time, the report said.
Chenab pollution
The NGT on May 5 directed the Committee looking into the illegal operation of 26 stone crushers and hot mix plants operating in Ramban district in Jammu & Kashmir to submit a comprehensive report on the matter and take remedial action to stem the illegalities found and recover compensation for the violations.
It was also alleged that the stone crushers were dumping residual matter directly into the Chenab river.
The order came in the wake of the report filed by the state pollution control board on February 5, indicating illegalities in the operation of some of the stone crushers and hot mix plants. However, the report was not complete and there was a proposal to reinspect the area in May-June after improvement of weather conditions.
Faridabad industries
A report on four industries allegedly running without permission / consent in a non-confirming area of Faridabad district was filed by the Haryana State Pollution Control Board.
The report was in response to the NGT order and stated that on inspection “no plant or machinery or industrial activity” was found on the sites.
Further, if any activity was noticed in future under Water Act and Air Act by the four units, appropriate action would be taken by the State Pollution Control Board in accordance with law.
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