NGT to impose Rs50,000 fine for dumping waste in Ganga river

•  National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned all construction within 100 metres of the river’s edge from Haridwar in Uttarakhand to Unnao in Uttar Pradesh.
• This ban will remain in place until authorities complete the demarcation of the Ganga’s floodplains and identify all permissible and non-permissible activities.

Highlights of the order:

• After spending Rs7, 304.64 crore up to March 2017 by the central government, state government and local authorities of the state of UP” the status of the Ganga has “not improved in terms of quality or otherwise and it continues to be a serious environmental issue”.
• The bench ordered the concerned authorities to start constructing all sewage treatment plants or installation of any other anti-pollution devices within four months and complete the work within two years.
• Any government agency, public authority, industry or person who violates any of the directions contained in this judgment and more particularly in relation to storage, transportation of spent chrome liquor, dumping of any kind of waste in river Ganga and its tributaries or on the banks of the same shall be liable to pay environmental compensation of Rs50,000 for each breach or default
• The tribunal also ordered a complete prohibition on disposing of municipal solid waste, electronic-waste or bio-medical waste on the floodplain or into the Ganga or its tributaries.
• There shall be no dumping or landfill sites for any kind of waste irrespective of any technology for waste processing, within 500 metres from the edge of the river Ganga and/or its tributaries.
• NGT also directed the authorities to ensure that, “there are no encroachments, unauthorized illegal constructions on the banks/flood plain of the major drains, river Ganga and its tributaries”.
• The tribunal held that no industrial unit falling in the catchment area of Ganga and its tributaries should be permitted to indiscriminately extract ground water and asked the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) to carry out a study and notify areas falling between Haridwar and Unnao as over-exploited, critical, semi-critical and safe zones.

About the National Green Tribunal (NGT):

• NGT has been established under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.
• The tribunal deals with matters relating to the enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and property.
• The Tribunal is not bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice.
• The Tribunal’s dedicated jurisdiction in environmental matters shall provide speedy environmental justice and help reduce the burden of litigation in the higher courts.
• The Tribunal is mandated to make and endeavour for disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filing of the same.

By: Vishal