NGT fines Panchkula and Kalka municipal corporations for dumping waste unscientifically

NGT fines Panchkula and Kalka municipal corporations for dumping waste unscientifically

The total penalty of Rs.10 crores was fixed by the Haryana Pollution Control Board

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a fine on Panchkula and Kalka municipal corporations for unscientific dumping of waste on the land allotted for a solid waste management project at Jhuriwala village.

The tribunal had accepted the report submitted by the joint committee of NGT and directed action in keeping with the recommendations of the report. While Panchkula is to pay Rs.9 crore, Kalka has been fined Rs.1 crore.

The tribunal observed that about 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste was spread over 10 acres at Panchkula. This was to be remediated, apart from handling the current waste.

NGT ordered that contamination of water and violation of forest and wildlife laws needed to be stopped. As for past violations, compensation must be assessed.

The penalty was fixed according to the calculation of the regional office of the Haryana Pollution Control Board. The rate applied in such cases is Rs.300 per metric tonne with the remaining amount to cover other violations.

The tribunal ordered, "The amount must be deposited within a month with the Panchkula district magistrate. It would be used for restoration measures in accordance with the district environment plan, particularly to reverse the damage found in the report."

To execute the order, the tribunal constituted an eight-member joint committee headed by an additional chief secretary of urban development in Haryana.

The progress has to be achieved within three months. It would include remediation and recovery of land, and identification of a new site for setting up the adequate capacity of the waste processing plant by meeting the criteria as per the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.

The action taken report of compliance status as on 31 March 2023 must be filed before 15 April 2023.