Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal through the week
Subsidy request for low-floor electric buses
The Supreme Court, on August 5, 2019, asked the Centre to take a decision on the Delhi Transport Corporation’s (DTC) request for subsidy in purchasing 1,000 low-floor electric buses under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India Scheme (FAME-II Scheme). The court has given four weeks to the central government to decide.
An affidavit was filed by the deputy commissioner of transport department, Delhi stating that tenders have been floated for 1,000 low floor buses, of which letters of intent for 650 buses have already been issued.
Handling of plastic in Delhi
The NGT on August 5, 2019 directed that the measures started by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to contain unscientific handling of plastic by industries in the city were to be continued and a report was to be filed.
The Special Secretary (Environment) of Delhi and Member Secretary, DPCC, had submitted a compliance affidavit on the measures taken.
The DPCC stated that an action plan had been prepared and had been executed. Under it, illegal units operating in residential and non-conforming areas had been sealed.
The Delhi Development Authority had removed 627 tonnes of plastic waste from the Mangolpuri and 400 tonnes of plastic waste from Jahangirpuri had been removed in two days.
The NGT also requested that the Oversight Committee headed by Justice Pratibha Rani, former Judge of the Delhi High Court, to furnish its final report before October 31, 2019.
BIS violates pollution control norms
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on August 5, 2019, asked the Central Pollution Control Board and Kerala State Pollution Control Board to look into allegations that the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) was gold testing and hall marking without compliance of pollution control norms.
The court has also demanded an action taken report within a month.
Environment clearance to be cancelled
The NGT on August 5, 2019, ordered the cancellation of environmental clearance to four mining units — Maihar Stone, Jai Maa Bhandari Stone, Jyoti Stone, Vaishono Stone and Guru Kripa — operating in the Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh.
The units were also asked to prepare an appropriate action plan for restoring the damage done to the environment within a month.
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