Aafrin Kidwai 
Representational image by Tom Fisk from Pexels
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has said that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is at liberty to recover a penalty from the concerned authorities for continuing environmental damage. A committee comprising the CPCB, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), and IIT-Delhi members have assessed Rs 450 crore as the cost of damage to the environment due to dumpsites in Delhi.
The panel was tasked by NGT to ascertain the environmental damage caused by the waste dumps and based their calculations on factors such as legacy waste and leachate generated over the years. They determined the damage cost at Bhalswa to be Rs 155.9 crore, Okhla Rs 151.1 crore, and Ghazipur, Rs 142.5 crore, reports The Times of India.
The tribunal said, “CPCB is at liberty to recover the compensation already assessed, with further compensation for continuing damage till compliance of the law, following due process of law. The amount of recovered compensation is spent on restoration of the environment in Delhi.”
The bench observed that the work executed by the statutory authorities is inadequate, resulting in continued damage to the environment, apart from the damage to the tune of Rs 450 crore assessed for the past. The bench noted that the statutory period under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 for completing all steps specified in Rule 22 will come to an end on April 7, 2021.
Picture Credit: Photo by Tom Fisk from Pexels
