UP govt charged with ₹120 cr for improper waste management
Uttar Pradesh government has been charged with ₹120 crore as environmental compensation by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for improper waste management.
Uttar Pradesh government has been charged with ₹120 crore as environmental compensation by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for improper waste management, according to the news agency PTI.
A bench comprising of chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, Justice Sudhir Agarwal, and expert members A Senthil Vel and Afroz Ahmad held the state accountable for discharging at least 55 million litres per day (MLD) of untreated sewage into drains, rivers, and other water bodies, said a bench headed by chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel.
"The report filed on the behalf of the state is not clear as the number of industries for whom a Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) is planned and the water quality does not show positive results after bio-remediation work," the bench said.
The bench also pointed out that water pollution continues and the issue is at the planning stage in crucial aspects.
"The state government is liable for the discharge of 55 MLD sewage into rivers in and around Gorakhpur at the rate of ₹2 crore per MLD," the bench said.
It further said that the state government is liable for the discharge of 55 MLD sewage into rivers at Gorakhpur at ₹110 crore, and for failure to process solid waste, on scale applied in other cases, compensation is to be fixed.
"As per the information given during the hearing, the unprocessed legacy solid waste is 3.8 lakh MT at two sites. Applying the scale of compensation followed in the case of Maharashtra, compensation comes to Rs. 11.4 crores, which is rounded of at ₹10 crore. Thus, the total compensation is determined at ₹120 crore," the bench added as quoted by PTI.
It also directed the Uttar Pradesh government to deposit the compensation amount in a month in a ring-fenced account under the control of the divisional commissioner, Gorakhpur. It also ordered the constitution of a six-member joint committee for planning and execution of remedial measures to meet the norms, preferably within six months.
The remedial measures include operationalization of CETPs, interception, and diversion of drains to the respective Sewage Treatment Plans (STPs)...maintaining floodplain zones of rivers, lakes in question, and also Ramgarh Tal, preventing encroachment, ensuring plantation and desilting of the Tal and other associated activities.
(With PTI inputs)
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