· Failure to effectively address issue of liquid waste, sewage and legacy waste.
National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the state of Maharashtra to pay compensation to the tune of Rs 12,000 crore for its failure to effectively address the issue of liquid waste/sewage and legacy waste. This compensation amount is to be deposited within two months and used for restoration measures.
The order has been issued on Thursday regarding compliance of Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and other environmental issues.
The restoration measures with respect to sewage management would include setting up of sewage treatment and utilization systems, upgrading systems/operations to ensure utilization of their full capacities, ensuring compliance of standards, including those of fecal coliform and setting up of proper fecal sewage and sludge management in rural areas.
With regard to solid waste management, the action plan would include setting up of required waste processing plants and remediation of left out 84 sites.
Bio-remediation/bio-mining processes need to be executed as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines and the stabilized organic waste from bio-mining as well as from compost plants need to comply with laid down specifications. Other material recovered during such processes are to be put to use through authorised dealers/handlers/users. This restoration plan needs to be planned and executed in a time bound manner without further delay, the bench consisting of Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Sudhir Agarwal stressed.
