Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal
Noise at IGI
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on September 18, 2019 ordered the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) to “not only measure and maintain the prescribed noise levels but also display the same in public domain,” in response to an execution application filed by non-profit Society for Protection of Culture, Heritage, Environment, Traditions and Promotion of National Awareness for compliance of the order NGT passed on November 24, 2017.
One of the directions involved issuing of an advisory by AAI “to all the airlines whose aircrafts land at the runway of the IGI and domestic Airport, New Delhi to ensure ‘judgment based’ use of reverse thrust keeping in view weather, length of run way, wind, and other attendant circumstances to reduce the noise level particularly at the time of landing of aircrafts.”
According to the action-taken report (ATR), a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) was issued by AAI, which has been incorporated in the Aeronautical Information Publication. Information regarding use of reverse thrust by pilots is applicable to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata.
Steps regarding noise pollution were also taken in terms of a Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) notification, dated July 6, 2018, laying down certain requirements that have to be complied by June 17, 2020.
NICE lake pollution
The NGT on September 18, 2019 ordered for fresh reports regarding remedial action to combat the pollution of lake adjacent to NICE (Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises) Expressay between Tumakuru Road - National Highway 4 and Magadi road. According to complainant Anand Vinay, untreated sewage and trade effluent were discharged into the lake.
Reports by the secretaries of Urban Development and Public Works Department of Karnataka and the state Pollution Control Board (PCB), dated December 2018 and April 2019, were found inadequate and incomplete.
Cement pollution in Sikandrabad
The NGT sought an ATR from the Uttar Pradesh PCB regarding a complain by residents of Sikandrabad Industrial Area complaining about pollution caused by the burning of rubber, cloth, plastic and wood for generating steam in boilers by cement industries at Sikandrabad, in Bulandshahr district on September 18, 2019.
An April report vouched for the industries being compiant. But some pyrolysis units still used old tyres and two units were shut down.
In the present hearing, the NGT was appraised of that the PCB was assessing and recovering environmental compensation on Polluter Pays principle from polluting units. The NGT directs the said process to be completed “as far as possible within two months.”
STP discharges untreated water
A sewage treatment plant (STP) at Barwala, Haryana, discharges untreated water into adjoining land, damaging crops, contaminating groundwater and leading to the death of livestock and loss of soil fertility, according to an application that the NGT took up on September 18, 2019.
It sought a factual and ATR from a committee comprising representatives of the Central and state PCBs and the sub-divisional magistrate, Barwala within a month.
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