NGT slaps penalty of Rs 3,000 cr on Rajasthan for violating waste management norms

An environmental compensation of Rs 3,000 crores has been imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on the state of Rajasthan for allegedly not managing solid as well as liquid waste causing harm to the environment.

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the Rajasthan Government to pay a compensation of Rs 3,000 crores for allegedly not managing solid as well as liquid waste thereby causing harm to the environment. The compensation was sought under Section 15 of the NGT Act so as to remedy the damage done to the environment in compliance of directions of the Supreme Court, requiring the NGT to monitor the enforcement of norms for solid and liquid waste management, said the Tribunal in its order.

Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel of the NGT on Thursday said the restoration measures would include setting up sewage treatment and utilization systems, upgrading systems/operations of existing sewage treatment facilities and setting up of proper faecal sewage and sludge management facilities in rural areas. With regard to solid waste management, the execution plan would include setting up of required waste processing plants and remediation of left out 161 sites. Bio-remediation/bio-mining process needs to be executed as per CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) guidelines and the stabilized organic waste from biomining as well as from compost plants.

Moreover, without fixing quantified liability necessary for restoration, the mere passing of orders has not shown any tangible results in the last eight years (for solid waste management) and five years (for liquid waste management). Continuing damage is required to be prevented in future and past damage is to be restored, the NGT said.

The issues of solid as well as liquid waste management are being monitored by the Tribunal as per orders of the Supreme Court order dated September 2, 2014, with regard to solid waste management and the order dated February 22, 2017, with regard to liquid waste management. Other related issues include pollution of 351 river stretches, 124 non-attainment cities in terms of air quality, 100 polluted industrial clusters, illegal sand mining, etc. (With agency inputs)