Irked by inaction, NGT warns TN govt of Rs 1 lakh per day penalty

CHENNAI: Irked by delays in filing reports and taking actions by government agencies, the southern bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) has warned the government of penalties on a daily basis for every day delayed.

While hearing a suo motu case pertaining to the dumping of construction debris -- from the Chennai Port - Maduravoyal Elevated Corridor -- in the Cooum river, on Thursday, the bench comprising judicial member Justice Pushpa Satyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati censured government agencies, including the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Water Resources Department (WRD), for failing to remove the debris before September 30.

During the earlier hearing, the Tribunal directed the NHAI to clear the debris before September 30 and directed the WRD to conduct an inspection on October 1 and submit a report on October 3. However, both agencies failed to remove the construction waste.

Citing a forecast that predicted the onset of northeast monsoon during the third week of October, the Tribunal ordered the NHAI to remove the debris before October 10. The Tribunal has warned the NHAI and WRD of penalties on a daily basis if they fail to remove the debris before the deadline.

Similarly, while hearing another case of pollution of Thiruneermalai Lake, the Tribunal censured the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) for delaying reports. Pointing out that delays in filing reports are recurring, the Tribunal warned of a penalty between Re 1 and Rs 1 lakh, depending on the seriousness of the issue, for every day delayed. The TNPCB has been directed to file its report on or before October 17, the next date of hearing.