Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The joint committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal (NGT, West Zone-Pune) has recommended collecting environmental compensation of Rs 10 lakh every month from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) from April 1, 2020, till March 31, 2023. The amount should be deposited in 10 days with the regional officer of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) for restoration of the environment, stated the committee.
The municipal corporation is accused of not following the Solid Waste Management Rules; failing to implement the 'Environment Act 2016' Rules and not following the time frame regarding taking measures and also failing to pay compensation against the environmental damage.
The joint committee includes Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) scientist Pratik Bharne, Sub-regional officer of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) Sushil Kumar Rathod and CSMC deputy commissioner (Solid Waste Management) Somnath Jadhav. The committee notified their observations during the spot inspections and submitted the report to NGT on Friday. The next hearing on the petition has been scheduled for September 11.
“The committee mentioned that the CPCB has issued directions under Environment (Protection) Act regarding the fire incidents at municipal solid waste dumpsites. Hence the CSMC should follow them. The report further mentioned that 212 fire incidents took place at Chikalthana Garbage Processing Plant from January 2020 to June 2022 and 129 fire incidents took place at Padegaon Garbage Processing Plant during the same period. These incidents of burning garbage had taken place in the jurisdiction of the municipal corporation. Hence environmental compensation should be paid against the damage to the environment due to fire,” demanded the petitioner Suraj Pradeep Kumar Ajmera through a petition in NGT. The petition underlined that the environment has been damaged due to fire incidents and it has also created a threat to the citizens. Hence the judicial member Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member Vijay Kulkarni have ordered to form a joint committee (JC).