Down To Earth brings you top environmental cases heard in Supreme Court, high courts and National Green Tribunal
NGT slaps hefty fine on Agra, Mathura-Vrindavan Nagar Nigam for polluting Yamuna
In a 200-page judgment, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairperson, Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Sudhir Agarwal categorically stated that “when polluted sewage is being discharged in River Yamuna and water of the river is being polluted, the violators must be held responsible and should pay environmental compensation for the entire quantity, that is, each litre of such polluted sewage which is being discharged in River Yamuna”.
When it comes to the city of Agra, the installed capacity of STPs is 220.75 MLD, while all nine drains are discharging 286 MLD of sewage in river Yamuna. Therefore, there is a clear gap of 65.25 MLD or 65,250,000 litres. Thus, 65.25 MLD of totally untreated sewage is being discharged in River Yamuna at Agra.
In Mathura, there is a gap of 1.25 MLD in the installed capacity of STPs and the total discharge of sewage by the city’s 23 drains, the court was informed.
The NGT directed Agra Nagar Nigam to pay environmental compensation of Rs 58,39,20,000 to Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) within three months. Mathura-Vrindavan Nagar Nigam has been fined Rs 7,20,10,000, the green court noted.
The amount of environmental compensation would be used for remediation / rejuvenation / restoration of environment in the Agra, Mathura and Vrindavan region on the basis of a rejuvenation plan prepared by a joint committee comprising CPCB, UPPCB and concerned district magistrates.
The matter related to allegations of release of untreated sewage into Yamuna, polluting the river.
As long back as in 2002 as well, thousands of fish had died in the Sikandara-Taj Mahal area at Agra, the applicant in the matter shared, citing a news report in Down To Earth titled Fishy deaths, The mystery of large-scale fish fatalities in the Yamuna near Agra and the conflicting official theories. Such incidents are common and in the subsequent period, occurrences of incidents have become more frequent and prominent, particularly, close to some townships or populated areas, the application mentioned.
NGT questions validity of Jharkhand State Sand Mining Policy, 2017
NGT April 22 directed the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to file a detailed counter affidavit as to whether the Jharkhand State Sand Mining Policy, 2017 is a valid policy and is in accordance with the Sand Mining Guidelines, 2016 and 2020 issued by the ministry. The matter related to reports of illegal sand mining in Bokaro, Jharkhand.
An affidavit filed by the deputy commissioner of Bokaro stated that the operations of sand ghats in Jharkhand are governed by the Jharkhand State Sand Mining Policy, 2017 and are classified as Category-1 and Category-2 ghats. Category-1 sand ghats can be used for non-commercial purposes such as domestic and community use as well as for government sponsored schemes, whereas Category 2 sand ghats will be maintained by the Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation Limited and used for commercial purposes, the policy noted.
Simplex Infrastructures liable to pay environmental compensation for unscientific method of disposal of human excreta
NGT April 22 fined Simplex Infrastructures for violating environmental norms and Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2016.
Simplex, the nodal agency of the medical college construction project in Barasat, was disposing of human waste improperly.
Temporary toilets have been set-up by Simplex at various locations on the premises for labourers working on the project, according to an inspection report of the committee constituted by the tribunal.
Around 7-8 temporary toilets with brick walls and metal sheet roof were located adjacent to the boundary wall, the committee added. Further, the temporary toilets are not connected to any septic tank and drain into temporary storage wells / pits dug in the ground, it observed.
These wells containing human excreta were not properly covered, releasing a foul smell in the surroundings, NGT said, citing the report. Therefore, the Committee recommended that wells be immediately cleaned in a scientific manner to avoid any overflow of human excreta and to shift the toilets to some other place, so as to bring back the area in question to a healthy condition.
NGT directed the West Bengal Pollution Control Board to compute environmental compensation against Simplex for violating environmental norms as well as Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, creating a deplorable and unhygienic condition. The board was ordered to recover the compensation after giving Simplex an opportunity of being heard in accordance with law within a period of two months.
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