New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has spared Kerala from paying Rs 2,000 crore as penalty for lapses in waste disposal. The NGT which was considering cases of States, including Manipur, remarked that Kerala should be taken as the model.
The NGT which had pointed out failures in the disposal of non-biodegradable and degradable waste in Kerala had ordered payment of Rs 2,000 crore as fine.
It had also found discrepancies in the accounts pertaining to waste disposal in the state and that there was non-transparency in the accounts regarding Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi.
State's defence
In an additional affidavit filed, Kerala informed the NGT that Rs 2,000 crore had been set apart for resolving issues regarding waste disposal. The affidavit said that a total of Rs 2,343 crore had been allocated for treatment of septage (septic tank waste) and canal sludge. It also requested that the move to impose the penalty should be dropped in view of these measures.
The NGT Bench chaired by Justice A K Goyal said that imposition of the penalty was unnecessary since the purpose had been served as per the statements in the affidavit, and ordered that the progress achieved in six months should be submitted in the form of a report.
The NGT’s sittings for scrutinising waste disposal in States and the order passed by it thus came as a relief to Kerala. Earlier, the NGT had imposed a penalty of Rs 12,000 crore on Maharashtra on a similar issue.
Chief Secretary V P Joy, Additional Chief Secretaries Dr V Venu, Sarada Muralidharan; Pollution Control Board Chairman Pradeep Kumar, member secretary M Sheela, government advocates Nishe Rajan Shankar and Alim Anwar represented Kerala.
