The National Green Tribunal has imposed a penalty of over Rs 2,000 crore on the Punjab government for its failure to treat solid and liquid waste, leading to a huge gap in their generation and treatment. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice A K Goel said corrective action cannot wait for an indefinite period and health issues be deferred for long. Responsibility of the State is to have a comprehensive plan to control pollution which is its absolute liability, which is not being understood.
If there is deficit in budgetary allocations, it is for the state and the state alone to have suitable planning by reducing cost or augmenting resources, the bench said. It said that the compliance of environmental norms on the subject of waste management has to be high on priority. According to the NGT, the total compensation is rounded off at Rs 2,180 crore. Out of this, Punjab government has already deposited with the tribunal Rs 100 crore for its failure to prevent discharge of untreated sewage and solid waste.
The remaining amount of Rs 2,080 crore may be deposited by the State of Punjab in a separate ring-fenced account within two months, the bench said. NGT is monitoring compliance of Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and other environmental issues by states and Union territories.
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