Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal
Tyre retreading causing pollution
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to look into the allegation of illegal tyre retreading, in violation of environmental norms by Swami Tyres Works, Ganesh Nagarin Pune, Maharashtra. The court asked it to file an action report before February 18, 2021.
The applicant, Shomi Sugathan, said the unit has been undertaking such activities in the vicinity of his residence, thereby causing pollution.
The MPCB had issued closure notice to the unit December 9, 2019. The electricity connection was also disconnected June 19, 2020. A suit was filed by the said unit before the civil judge, senior division, Pune, which was rejected in December 2019.
But the illegal activities continued. More than 40-50 tyres were retreaded in a day and the process continued in the night, according to the applicant.
Adyar solid waste
The NGT directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to submit a report on the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 in Kodambakkam and Adyar, Chennai. The order was in response to the allegations of unsegregated solid waste overflowing from bins on to the roads.
Biomedical waste management
The NGT November 10 took up the matter of non-compliance of Bio Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 (BMW Rules) by Sahyadri Super Speciality Hospital Deccan Gymkhana, Pune.
According to the applicant, the said hospital discharged hazardous and infectious bio-medical waste directly into the environment in violation of the BMW Rules and provisions of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 as well as the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
The applicant sought information from the MPCB; the state responded that no information was available with regard to the said hospital. This showed that the hospital did not taken necessary authorisation or consent from the state PCB.
The hospital has eight branches across the state with more than 900 beds and 200 intensive-care unit beds. It has 200 beds in Pune and is being operated without requisite statutory consents / approval with potential for diseases.
The NGT directed the MPCB to take further remedial action with regard to the above hospital as per BMW Rules.
Kolhapur stone mining
The NGT directed the formation of a joint committee comprising the MCPB, the collector (Kolhapur) and chief conservator of forests (Kolhapur) to look into illegal stone mining activities in village Kasarwadi, taluka Hatkanangale. The committee must take appropriate action as per law in case of any illegal activity, the order said.
According to the applicant (Gram Panchayat, Kasarwadi), the district mining officer, Kolhapur, gave a mining lease that was later cancelled. The illegal mining, however, continued, causing air and noise pollution as well as damage to agricultural land.
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