Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 20 Jul: The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) Kolkata (WB)-based eastern zone has recently criticized the Arunachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (APSPCB) over its affidavit filed before the NGT on 8th July, 2022 and termed it ‘careless and showing negligence of the Regulatory Authority.’
In May 2022, the NGT had directed the APSPCB to file a fresh affidavit “indicating the nature of violations and the action taken report against each of the non-compliant units such as hotels, automobile workshops, garage, etc. in Itanagar and Naharlagun which have failed to pay environmental compensation charges (ECC) for grossly violating the environmental norms by installing effluent treatment plant (ETP) or sewage treatment plant (STP) in their respective units.”
Directing the legal counsel of the APSPCB to file petition on queries in regard to abatement of water pollution in the Senki, Pachin, Dikrong river and steps taken thereof within four weeks, the NGT remarked, “The affidavit of the board only shows the closure order which has been passed and that direction for disconnection of electricity has been issued but whether the electricity has been disconnected or not, is not mentioned. It is not even stated whether the unit has been sealed with a proper seal and no photographs have been filed to that effect by way of evidence. This only shows negligence of the State Pollution Control Board as a Regulatory Authority.”
Further, the NGT stated that the affidavit also does not state what measures would be taken if the unit in the absence of being sealed, operates the unit through generator or solar power so that it continues to cause pollution.
“We also find that the complete list of closure orders of the all units which are not compliant has not been filed; only a few closure orders have been filed. This is a careless affidavit which prima facie shows negligence of the Regulatory Authority. Even in those cases where Environmental Compensation has not been deposited nothing has been stated whether proceedings have been initiated in accordance with law under Public Money Recovery Act for recovery of Environmental Compensation (EC),” the NGT stated.
The Green Tribunal also observed that though the EC of Rupees seventy-five lakhs (Rs.75,00,000/-) has been ordered against Itanagar Municipality Corporation on 30 July 2021 followed by a reminder on 7 July 2022, the board had not stated whether EC amount has been recovered or not. The NGT will hear the matter on 18 August 2022.
