Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal
Bird population
The High Court of Bombay on July 15, 2019 ordered that a committee be formed to look into the alarming decline of Great Indian Bustard and Lesser Florican. The two-member Supreme Court bench said the committee should include Director of Bombay Natural History Society, Asad R Rahmani, member of the governing body of Wetlands International South Asia and Dhananjai Mohan, chief conservator of forests, Wildlife Administration, Protection & Intelligence, Nainital, Uttarakhand.
Kosi river encroachment
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on July 11, 2019 directed a joint committee comprising Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) and district magistrate, Rampur, to investigate the case of alleged illegal construction by Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in river Kosi’s flood plains.
The encroachment is allegedly obstructing the free passage of the river resulting in scarcity of water and environmental devastation.
Industries polluting Ghaziabad
The tribunal on July 11, 2019 asked a joint committee comprising representatives of Central Pollution Control Board, UPPCB and Ghaziabad district magistrate to submit a factual and action-taken report on the allegations that industries were causing pollution in Ghaziabad.
The accused are DP Panchal & Co, Magnum Ventures Ltd, Careyel Medical Systems Pvt Ltd, P Ent Labels, Skilltron and Krbi Ltd. They allegedly spewed chemicals like pesticides, chlorinated solvents, petroleum chemicals, mercury PCBs, dioxins and other persisting organic pollutants polluting the environment and causing health hazards.
Diversion of forest in Kendrapara
The NGT on July 15, 2019 demanded clarification on a report submitted by Kendrapara’s collector and district magistrate and Cuttack’s district forest officer regarding diversion of 1 hectare of forest land for mega piped water supply project.
The application for diversion of forest land submitted by the executive engineer, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation division, Kendrapara, has been processed and approved under certain terms and conditions, read the report.
But the tribunal asked if the report pertains to two villages and more area is included. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has also been asked to file its reply on the matter.
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