NGT slams Panipat DM for hiring separate expert to study pollution caused by IOCL refinery

The National Green Tribunal has rapped the Panipat District Magistrate for appointing a separate expert to study the pollution caused by the Indian Oil Corporation Limited's Panipat Refinery in Haryana.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said there was no justification to "charter a separate course" by the DM without reference to the tribunal.

"The District Magistrate was a member of the Committee and could have given even a separate opinion but could not appoint a separate expert. It is not clear as to who paid for such separately hired expert. Moreover, the expert opinion given by Engineers India Limited (which the DM engaged) is unacceptable.

"Apart from being without jurisdiction, the report tries to avoid the issue and ignores the expert opinion already on record on untenable grounds. We refrain from making any further comments for the time being about the conduct of the District Magistrate in trying to divert the issue being dealt with by this Tribunal and going beyond the scope of the task assigned for reasons which are difficult to fathom."