Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The amount of Rs 121 crores shall be utilized for remediation, restoration and rejuvenation of damage already caused to the environment, including water bodies.
Coming down heavily on Bhopal Municipal Corporation, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has slapped Rs 121 crore environmental damage compensation on the civic body for failing to scientifically discharge its liquid waste.
The Tribunal has directed the civic body to deposit environmental cost with MP Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) within two months.
By continuously discharging untreated municipal sewage in the water bodies besides dumping of solid waste in an unscientific manner causing pollution, the BMC is liable to pay environmental compensation every month till remedial steps are taken by making requisite capacity STPs, operational, and management, handling and processing of solid waste is done in accordance with SWM Rules, 2016, says the order of the green body.
Going by the admission of municipal commissioner in which he had accepted a gap of 60.5 MLD, the NGT fixed the amount of compensation at the rate of Rs 2 crores per MLD, the total of which amounts to Rs 120 Crores. Thus the environmental compensation for a month comes to Rs 1.21 crores.
NGT direct that from September onwards after the end of every month, by next 7 days in the succeeding month, BMC shall deposit Rs 1.21 crores towards environmental compensation, for further non- compliance, with MPPCB till remedial steps are taken by stopping dumping of solid waste and discharging of untreated municipal sewage in water bodies.
The amount of Rs 121 Crores shall be utilized for remediation, restoration and rejuvenation of damage already caused to the environment, including water bodies.
M Y Chaudhary had filed a petition alleging that there is indiscreet flow of sewage including municipal and bio-medical waste, being directly discharged in Nawab Siddique Hasan Khan Talab, Ward No. 09 from the hospitals located on Taj-Ul-Masjid Road, city of Bhopal.
The aforesaid water body is part of a system of three water bodies, two others being Motia Talab and Munshi Hussain Khan Talab which are also getting affected by pollution due to run off and leachate being discharged in Nawab Siddique Hasan Khan Talab.
Residents of the area are suffering from diseases due to water pollution being caused by dumping of bio-medical and municipal waste, the petitioner had mentioned before the tribunal.
Tribunal orders for plaint against BMC commissioner
NGT has direct ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF &CC) to a lodge complaint for criminal prosecution against the Commissioner, BMC for committing offence under Section 15 read with SWM Rules, 2016 and Section 16 of EP Act, 1986.
The municipal commissioner is in charge of BMC and responsible for its business, hence under Section 47 is directly responsible and deemed guilty of the offence, has to be prosecuted, the tribunal said.
