NGT slaps Rs 25 crore fine on Delhi govt for failing to curb pollution

Cracking down heavily on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led dispensation in Delhi for failing to curb the menace of pollution, the National Green Tribunal (NGT has imposed a fine of Rs. 25 Crore on it.

The monetary penalty is required to be deducted from the salaries of Delhi government officials and people polluting the environment, failing to do which the city government will have to pay a fine of Rs.10 crore per month.

In October this year, the NGT had imposed a fine of Rs 50 crore on the Delhi government for inaction against illegal steel units in residential areas and directed the Chief Secretary of Delhi government to constitute a three-member committee to find out those responsible for granting license to these units and take action against them.

A bench headed by NGT Chairman Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel had constituted a committee in order to keep a watch on activities leading to the degradation of the environment.

A thick layer of smog has been witnessed in the national capital in the past few weeks, with air pollution hitting new highs.

According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), Delhi's air quality is "very poor", and is likely to increase marginally in the next two days.