Haryana's Mandi Dabwali civic body to pay Rs16 cr for environmental damage

Tribune News Service

Deepender Deswal

Sirsa, March 29

The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has imposed a penalty of Rs 16 crore on the Mandi Dabwali Municipal Council in Sirsa district for violating the solid waste management rules and disposing of the waste without segregation at the main dumping site in the town.

NGT’s direction to impose penalty

The NGT has issued directions to impose penalty on the non-complying polluting units and levy compensation on the principle of “polluter pays” to recover environment compensation for the restoration of the environmental damage caused.

Not aware of HSPCB order

I am not aware of the order of the HSPCB, so I don’t know about the penalty. We have complied with the norms of the Pollution Control Act in the town. Surender Singh, Executive officer of MC

I had to approach NGT

I complained to the authorities but when nobody took note of the matter, I approached the NGT. — Vinod Kumar Bansal, Complainant

The HSPCB has directed the MC to deposit Rs 16.01 crore with the HSPCB as environment compensation within 15 days to avoid further legal action.

The regional office of the HSPCB has submitted an environment compensation report against the MC Mandi Dabwali vide letter number 3678 on March 24. It stated that the HSPCB has inspected the site in the town and found that the MC was disposing solid waste without segregation at the main dumping site and non-complying under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. “So, the MC is liable to pay environmental compensation as per the policy of the board”, the order stated.

In its committee on March 24, the Environment Compensation Assessment Committee examined the case and levied the penalty for violation of the Environment Act. “The ECAC has considered the violation for 1,826 days (for about five years) from August 28, 2014 to August 27, 2019”, it added.

The complainant in the case, MC member Vinod Kumar Bansal stated that he had filed the complaint with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) as the entire town was dotted with garbage. “I complained to the authorities but when nobody took note of the matter I approached the NGT”, he said.

The NGT has issued directions to impose the penalty on the non-complying polluting units and levy compensation on the principle of “polluter pays” to recover environment compensation for the restoration of the environmental damage caused. The HSPCH had adopted the methodology suggested by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for assessment, imposing, collection and utilisation of environment compensation from the polluting units in Haryana.

The Executive Officer of the MC, Surender Singh, said the case was pending with the NGT but he was not aware of the penalty. He said they had complied with the norms of the Pollution Control Act in the town.

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