Year after NGT order, authorities moot Rs 6-cr fine on 94 Mahendragarh stone crushers

Tribune News Service

Ravinder Saini

Mahendragarh, May 2

A joint committee of district officials has calculated a total environmental compensation of over Rs 6 crore against 94 stone crushers in the district for the violation of environment norms in the past 11 years.

A report in this regard has recently been submitted by the office to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) which had formed the committee for assessing the environmental compensation while hearing a complaint against the stone crushers in Mahendragarh and Charkhi Dadri districts.

Violations as per govt committee report

• These stone crushers were, as per the committee’s report, found violating the parameters pertaining to the development of the green belt in their peripheries.
• They were also not fulfilling the requisite measures to control air pollution, including the installation of covered sheds and water sprinklers to keep the dust settled.

Sources said stone crushers were, as per the committee’s report, found violating the parameters pertaining to the development of the green belt in the periphery of the unit and not fulfilling the air pollution control measures that included the installation of adequate number of covered sheds and water sprinklers to keep the dust settled.

The complainant had accused the stone crushers of not adhering to environment norms resulting in adverse effects on environment and public health.

“Hearing the complaint, the NGT had, over a year ago, fixed interim compensation at the rate of Rs 20 lakh against each of the stone crushers operating in both the districts. In its order, the NGT also stated that the compensation would be collected retrospectively for five years preceding the filing of the complaint and coercive action may be initiated if the amount is not deposited within a month. The amount is to be used for environment restoration,” said a source.

Sources said several stone crusher owners approached the Supreme Court (SC) against the orders pleading that they were not given the opportunity to be heard in the case. The court then observed that if any stone crusher owner had any objection against the order passed by the NGT, he may approach the NGT as per the liberty reserved by the Tribunal in its orders.

“Thereafter, the stone crushers submitted that they have no objection if the joint committee fixes the final compensation after giving them an opportunity of hearing. The NGT directed the joint committee, comprising the District Magistrate, Mahendragarh, representatives of member secretary of Haryana State and Central Pollution Control Board and District Forest Officer, to fix the final compensation after determining the extent and period of violation and after giving opportunity of hearing to all concerned stone crushers,” the source added.

The NGT further stated that the joint committee would also ascertain the source of raw material and compliance of all requisite norms by these stone crushers and carrying capacity of that area and make recommendations with respect to the closure of the defaulting stone crushers, if any. The committee would be treated to be recommendatory in nature and it would make an endeavour to complete the exercise within three months and would submit a detailed report before the tribunal.

Krishan Kumar Yadav, Regional Officer, Haryana State Pollution Control Board, told The Tribune that the environmental compensation of Rs 6 crore against 94 stone crushers had been calculated on the basis of notices issued to them for the time period from 1 January 2013 to 1 February 2024 for the violations of various parameters.

“Further action into the matter will be taken by the NGT,” said Yadav, adding that at present, 80 stone crushers were operational in the district.

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