Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal
Health survey in Sangareddy District
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on August 8, 2019 stated that the report submitted by the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) on untreated effluents being discharged by various industrial units in Zahirabad in Telangana's Sangareddy district was faulty and inadequate and directed that a new report be submitted.
The fresh inspection for the new report would be carried out by a joint committee comprising the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), IIT Madras, NEERI Nagpur and TSPCB, the court said.
The CPCB would be nodal agency for compliance and coordination. The committee would have to ascertain the present status of the pollution caused in terms of the air, land and water and assess the compensation for the last five years, which should be a deterrent and adequate to recover the cost of restoration.
The district magistrate of Sangareddy, will have to conduct health surveys and provide immediate relief to the inhabitants. The cost would be recovered from the industries out of the CSR funds.
CETP in Loni
The NGT on August 8, 2019 heard the matter of the report submitted by the Department of Environment, Uttar Pradesh on steps taken to check the disposal of untreated effluents by textile units using hazardous chemicals in Loni near Ghaziabad.
The report of August 6, 2019 had mentioned that remedial measures had been taken and responsibility of erring officers of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board and the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation Ltd had been fixed, which will now be proceeded against by the concerned departments.
Further, 28 units operating at 50 per cent capacity had been closed as the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) did not have the capacity to sustain the pollution caused by the said units.
A new CETP of six million litres per day capacity had now been constructed and conditional 'Consent to Operate' had been given.
The court directed that further action be taken in accordance with law after ensuring that the CETP is fully functional and stablilised and no pollution caused.
Unregulated porcine slaughter Delhi
The NGT on August 8, 2019 directed that a joint Committee comprising of Delhi Pollution Control Committee, New Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi Municipal Corporation, East Delhi Municipal Corporation and North Delhi Municipal Corporation submit a report on the complaint of pollution caused on account of unregulated slaughter of pigs.
According to the application filed before the NGT, 2,000-5,000 pigs are slaughtered in a day without specific and dedicated place and in the process 25,000 liters toxic blood is emitted.
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