Page 2 - Ngt

AQI having 'good days' increased, specific action taken: Delhi govt to NGT

The Delhi government has submitted an action taken report on air pollution to the National Green Tribunal, saying the air quality index showing "good days" between January and October in the city increased from 157 in 2018 to 201 in 2024. Good days are a cumulative of days where the AQI has been recorded as good, satisfactory and moderate. The report said "specific mitigation action" was being taken at the 13 pollution hotspots in Delhi. On October 24, the NGT while hearing the matter regarding the deteriorating air quality in the national capital, necessitating the invoking of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), directed the Delhi government to file its report. "With consistent efforts from stakeholder departments, good days have increased from 157 in 2018 to 206 in 2023 from January to October. This year till October 29, there have been 201 good days," said the report submitted on Monday. It said a 21-point winter action plan with around 30 government stakeholder departments

Uttar Pradesh: NGT directs action on illegal farming of African catfish

The National Green Tribunal has ordered action against the alleged illegal breeding and farming of the African catfish in Uttar Pradesh. Clarias gariepinus, colloquially known as the African catfish or the Thai magur, is banned in India and its farming and breeding are not permissible. The green body was hearing a plea claiming two people were breeding the banned fish variety in the Shahpur Nij Morta village of Ghaziabad district. In a recent order, a bench of National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted a 2019 order of the tribunal, according to which, "Breeding of exotic magur (catfish) is not allowed without the approval of the national committee on exotic fishes and also the state government concerned because of its potential to cause ecological damage in our country." The bench, also comprising Judicial Member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and Expert Member A Senthil Vel, said the matter concerning the breeding of exotic catfish or its hybrid Thai magur had

NGT flags solid, sewage waste management issues in Gujarat and Odisha

The National Green Tribunal while monitoring the status of waste management across the country's states and Union Territories flagged several issues last month after analysing the progress reports submitted by Gujarat and Odisha. A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted that the two states filed separate progress reports detailing the steps taken to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court's directions regarding solid waste management rules and establishing adequate sewage treatment plants (STPs). Last year, the tribunal imposed environmental compensation (EC) on various states for the gaps in waste management, including Rs 2,100 crore on Gujarat, which had to be kept in a ring-fenced account. It stopped short of imposing the fine on Odisha after the state government gave an undertaking that it would set aside Rs 1,138 crore to address the gaps. Regarding solid waste management in Gujarat, the bench also comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Kumar Agarwal and

RBI move to slow down gold loan growth, lead to uptick in default: CRISIL

The National Green Tribunal has sought a response from the Centre and nine state pollution control boards along with the Delhi Pollution Control Committee on a study cited by a newspaper alleging severe impact of poor air quality on mortality rates across 10 major Indian cities. The green body was hearing a matter where it had taken suo motu cognisance of a newspaper report, which quoting a Lancet study said that approximately 33,000 deaths annually were linked to air pollution levels that exceed the World Health Organization guidelines. The report examined the cities of Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Shimla, and Varanasi. In an order passed on October 15, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said, "As per the news item, the study's findings show that even cities previously considered less polluted, such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Chennai, are significantly affected and it is alleged that this is largely due to ...

NGT issues notice on blockage of drains, lakes' encroachment in Bengaluru

The NGT has sought a response from the chief commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and other officials on a Lokayukta report on two lakes of the Karnataka capital that found blocked stormwater drains and encroachments as major issues. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) was hearing a matter where it had taken suo motu cognisance of a newspaper report regarding the Lokayukta's probe that found several issues in Vibhutipura and Doddanekundi lakes in Bengaluru. In a recent order, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said, "The news item states that in Vibhutipura Lake, officials found the entrance gate mutilated, fencing destroyed, and illegal structures within the premises." "The lake's water level was alarmingly low, even during the rainy season, due to a blocked outflow path. Encroachments and misuse of facilities were also noted. Furthermore, it was found that the Doddanekundi Lake faced similar issues," he said. The bench also comprising judici

NGT seeks response from authorities after contaminated water makes 300 ill

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought a response from authorities, including the district magistrate of Greater Noida, in a matter regarding the supply of contaminated water to a housing society. The green panel had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of a newspaper report, according to which water containing E coli bacteria and bleaching powder was recently supplied to Supertech Ecovillage 2 in Greater Noida West. Consumption of the contaminated water led to over 300 residents, including 170 children, falling ill. In its order dated October 1, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said, "The news item raises substantial issues relating to compliance of provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and the Environment Protection Act." The bench, also comprising judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert members A Senthil Vel and Afroz Ahmad, impleaded as parties or respondents the member secretaries of the Central Pollution ...

NGT seeks Centre's response: Star rating system for vehicles gets push

Star rating systems for vehicles based on fuel efficiency are already prevalent in many countries

Legacy waste: SC stays NGT order directing Punjab govt to pay over Rs 1K cr

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed an order of the National Green Tribunal, which had imposed over Rs 1,000 crore as environmental compensation on Punjab for failing to manage legacy waste and untreated sewage in the state. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra issued notice to the Centre and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the appeal filed by the state government against the NGT order. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi appeared for the state government. The NGT in its July 25 order had directed Punjab through the chief secretary to deposit Rs. 10,261,908,000 towards environmental compensation with the CPCB within one month. "Repeated orders have been passed from time to time giving opportunity to State of Punjab in the hope and trust that it will take serious, substantial and urgent steps to comply with provisions of Environmental Laws and in particular Section 24 of Water Act, 1974 but we are at pain to observe t

Religion over environment? UP govt plans to cut 33k trees for Kanwar route

The National Green Tribunal has sought detailed breakdown of the tree felling from the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government

NGT seeks response from authorities on deteriorating condition of Dal Lake

The National Green Tribunal has sought a response from several authorities, including the Central Pollution Control Board and the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee, on "deteriorating conditions" of the Dal Lake in Kashmir. The green panel was hearing a matter in which it had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of a media report that said "...the condition of the Dal Lake in Kashmir was deteriorating because of municipal sewage, pollution and urbanisation and its impact on the lives of Hanji people (those living in houseboats)". A bench of National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member A Senthil Vel said, according to the report, sewage has destroyed the fish in the lake. At one time, people used to drink the lake water but today it cannot even be used for washing faces. "The news item mentions that 70 per cent of the sewage generated in Srinagar city finds its way into the lake and the sewage treatment plants (STPs) are heavily ...

NGT seeks reasons for not enforcing GRAP in Delhi despite poor air quality

The National Green Tribunal has sought from the Centre's Commission for Air Quality Management the reasons for not implementing the Graded Response Action Plan curbs in the National Capital Region and the adjoining areas. Underlining that the Stage-I Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) curbs were not invoked despite the air quality reaching the 'poor' category from May 3 to 6, the NGT sought a fresh report from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). The tribunal was hearing the matter regarding air pollution in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) region. In an order passed on May 7, a bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said, "Air quality in Delhi in the last four days has dipped to poor category and it was 291 on May 5. But GRAP-I provisions have not been invoked till now." The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi was 264 on May 3, 281 the next day and 247 on May 6. The bench also comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarw

Bandhwari landfill fire: NGT issues notice to environment ministry, others

The National Green Tribunal has sought a response from authorities, including the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), regarding the blaze in the Bandhwari landfill site in Gurugram last week. A fire broke out at the site along the Gurugram-Faridabad Road, days after a massive blaze erupted at the Ghazipur waste site in east Delhi. Waste collected by the civic bodies in Gurugram and Faridabad is dumped at the site. The NGT was hearing the matter where it had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of a newspaper report regarding the fire. A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted that the report claimed the combustion of methane gas could have caused the blaze and that there was an alleged lack of precautionary measures. "The news item raises substantial issues relating to the compliance of environmental norms particularly with respect to prevention of fire and landfill gas management," said the bench comprising expert member A Senth

NGT asks Punjab to explain how it will handle 19 mn tonnes of paddy stubble

Green Tribunal seeks information from the state on stubble management in 2023 and 2024

NGT asks Punjab how it will achieve target to cut stubble burning incidents

The National Green Tribunal has directed the Punjab government to disclose in its comprehensive report how it will achieve its projected target for reducing incidents of stubble burning in the present year. The NGT was hearing the matter regarding stubble burning in Punjab which was aggravating the issue of air pollution during the winter season in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas. In January this year, the tribunal directed Punjab to file an "amended fresh action plan" to tackle the "serious issue". A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted that an action taken report dated March 19 had been filed by the Punjab Pollution Control Board which included the details of paddy straw utilisation in 2023 along with the target for the present year. The bench also comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel said the report disclosed the target for 2024 upon implementation of the crop residue management plan, includ

Only 20% environmental funds utilised for NCR, shows CPCB report to NGT

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has spent only 20 per cent of the environment protection charge and environmental compensation collected so far for mitigating air pollution in Delhi-NCR and protecting the environment. The CPCB receives compensation broadly under two heads - environment protection charge (EPC) and environmental compensation (EC). According to a CPCB report submitted to the National Green Tribunal on March 20, the central pollution control body has disbursed only Rs 156.33 of the total Rs 777.69 crore collected under the two heads. The dealer/manufacturer is required to pay one per cent environment protection charge on the ex-showroom price of new diesel vehicles with engine capacity of 2000cc and above, registered only in Delhi and NCR. This is called 'environment protection charge'. The EPC is received as per an order of the Supreme Court and is utilized for air quality improvement and related work in Delhi-NCR such as research and development activities

Offerings in rivers: NGT allows DPCC, UPPCB to file responses in 4 weeks

The National Green Tribunal has allowed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) to file within four weeks their responses regarding throwing worship offerings in rivers Ganga and Yamuna. The tribunal was hearing a matter where it had taken suo motu cognisance of a newspaper report regarding pollution in the two rivers because of the throwing of flowers and garlands offered in puja (worship) in polythene bags in their ghats. A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said that DPCCs counsel failed to point out the committee's response on the issue. The bench, also comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel, noted that the counsel's submissions about submitting "a fresh proper response" covering the issue within four weeks. In an order passed on March 18, the bench noted that there was a similar plea of filing its response within four weeks from the UPPCBs counsel. Allowing

SC sets aside NGT's order on Shimla Development Plan; BJP hails verdict

As the Supreme Court set aside the NGT curbs on Thursday, Bhardwaj said the people of Shimla were desperately counting on the apex court to rule in favour of sustainable development of the city

2023: NGT cracks whip to spur officials to strive for cleaner air, water

As large swathes of India gasped for breath, choking on air laden with contaminants, the National Green Tribunal grappled with a wide range of environmental issues, including pollution of the Ganga and quality and quantity of groundwater and air pollution in 2023. It went to the extent of imposing huge penalties on states like Delhi and Bihar for poor liquid and solid waste management. In February, the tribunal directed the Delhi government to pay Rs 2,232 crore as environmental compensation for improper management of solid and liquid waste, while in May it imposed a staggering Rs 4,000 crore compensation on Bihar. The green panel also passed orders to check over-exploitation of natural resources. It took suo motu (on its own) cognisance of industrial and environmental disasters, and awarded compensation to the victims. A highlight of the tribunal's directions involved restoring the pristine sanctity of rivers, many of which are venerated entities like the Ganga and Yamuna. Express

Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Who are rat hole miners and how do they work?

A mining technique that has been banned in India over safety concerns proved instrumental in rescuing the 41 trapped workers

NGT bars mineral extraction at Bisalpur Dam without green clearance

The National Green Tribunal has prohibited Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project Corporation Limited (ERCPCL) from proceeding with desilting, dredging, mineral extraction and disposal at the Bisalpur Dam in Tonk district without obtaining environmental clearance. In an order on Friday, the central zonal bench of the tribunal in Bhopal also directed the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board to take necessary preventive, prohibitory, punitive and remedial measures in case of violations of environmental laws. The order by a bench of judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member Afroz Ahmad came on a petition file by Jodhpur-resident Dinesh Bothra challenging the tender for the contract of sand mining at the Bisalpur Dam for a period of 20 years. RCPCL, representing the Department of Mines, had issued online bids for the reclamation of storage capacity of the Bisalpur Dam by desilting. In its order, the tribunal has barred all activities under the project involving dredging, ...