Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal
Use of treated sewage
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in a report on May 18, 2020 recommended states and Union territories (UTs) be directed to implement an action plan for utilisation of treated sewage latest by 2023. The states should also be directed to estimate the quantity of sewage generated and provide adequate treatment capacity, a primary requirement for preparation of an action plan for treated sewage, according to the report.
The report also called for identification of more bulk users and industrial usage diversification.
The CPCB — in its recommendations to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) — called for the imposition of Rs one lakh per month as environmental compensation from December 1, 2019 till date on the below states / UTs for their failure to provide either no information or partial information:
Land encroachment
The NGT on May 18 directed a joint committee — including representatives of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation, Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board and the district magistrate — to take remedial action on the matter of encroachment of government land and discharge of sewage at Bhopal’s Kauluva village .
Waterbody encroachment
The NGT on May 15 directed the assessment and recovery of environmental compensation for illegal encroachment and water pollution of a stream by a hotel and a rice mill at village Pokharpur in Bihar’s Nalanda district.
A report by the Bihar State Pollution Control Board said the issue of encroachment by the hotel needed to be probed further.
The effluent treatment plant (ETP) — with respect to the rice mill — was not functional and conditions of consent to operate were not complied with, according to the report. A Discharge Consent Order under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Emission Consent Order under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 expired, for which action was initiated.
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