NGT orders heavy penalties for illegal dumping of waste

Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 31
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered a complete prohibition on littering and dumping of solid waste at unauthorised locations across Haryana, including roadsides, rivers, waterways, wetlands, and public lands. Violators, including the urban local bodies, will now pay hefty environmental compensation amounts, ranging from Rs 5,000 for a first-time offense to Rs 50,000 for repeated infractions by bulk waste generators.
Addressing the persistent issue of illegal waste disposal despite existing regulations, the tribunal headed by judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Dr Afroz Ahmad asserted dumping of raw garbage on roadsides, railway tracks, riverbanks, highway shoulders, wetlands, and other public lands was still a common sight.
The tribunal also made it clear that its ruling was driven by the failure of Central and state governments, as well as local authorities, to uphold their responsibilities. Even though they were under constitutional and statutory obligations to prevent environmental degradation, they had failed and neglected to discharge the responsibilities concerning the “proper collection, handling, transportation, and ultimately hygienic disposal or recycling of solid and liquid waste”.
Speaking for the tribunal, Justice Tyagi asserted the state and its instrumentalities could not be allowed to violate the right to a decent and clean environment. The tribunal was under constitutional and statutory obligation to take suo motu cognizance and give necessary directions for ensuring that the right to a decent and clean environment did not remain illusionary and was strictly enforced.
Justice Tyagi asserted the violator were liable to pay environmental compensation of Rs 5,000 in the first instance and Rs 10,000 for further instances of littering/dumping of solid waste. The amount was Rs 25,000 for first instance and Rs 50,000 for further instances of littering/dumping of bulk waste by “any bulk waste generator, concessionaire, urban local bodies, or any other person or body responsible for the same”
The municipal corporations and committees were also tasked with implementing the directions on payment of compensation, with designated officers responsible for enforcement. Regional officers of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) were also authorised to impose the environmental compensation. The collected compensation was directed to be utilised by the municipal corporation, committee and HSPCB for waste management and processing.
The NGT also directed a comprehensive publicity campaign to ensure widespread awareness of the directives. The Haryana Chief Secretary and the HSPCB Member-Secretary were also asked to ensure adequate publicity of the directions in the entire state through electronic and print media, in addition to hoardings and banners. Failure to pay the compensation would result in recovery as arrears of land revenue.

No littering in water bodies, govt land
We specifically direct that there shall be complete prohibition on littering/dumping of solid waste at unauthorised places, particularly roadsides, rivers, waterways, wetlands, lakes, nalas, panchayat or revenue land, land owned by PWD or other various authorities in the entire state of Haryana with effect from the date of this order —NGT