6 polluting units, 2 builders slapped with Rs 44.5 cr fine in Panipat
The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has imposed Rs 44.5 crore environmental compensation (EC) on six industries and two builders in the district this year so far.
HSPCB Regional Officer (RO) Bhupinder Singh Chahal said six industrial units, including a liquor factory in Samalkha and the National Fertiliser Limited (NFL), and two builders had been slapped with an environmental compensation of Rs 36 crore and Rs 8.5 crore, respectively, for violating the pollution control norms.
Following the complaint of Delhi-based environmentalist Varun Gulati, the HSPCB imposed a compensation of Rs 5.97 crore on TDI Infratech, a building company, in Panipat and Rs 3.48 crore on Ansal Infrastructure for non-compliance of pollution norms.
Besides, the HSPCB has fined four construction sites Rs 21 lakh during the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage-4. The board also fined an estate officer of Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran over burning of solid waste in Sector 25.
National Fertilisers Limited (NFL) has been told to cough up Rs 35.84 crore for violating the provisions of the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016.
The HSPCB sought an EC of Rs 27 lakh from a liquor factory, Haryana Organics, in Chulkana village of Samalkha for discharging untreated effluents in an adjoining drain and non-compliance of environmental norms. Though Haryana Organics had deposited Rs 27 lakh to the HSPCB in August, the pollution control board has recommended an additional compensation of Rs 33.90 lakh in the same case. However it is not finalised so far.
JBM company has been asked to pay Rs 11.22 lakh for dumping garbage in an open area between two canals near Mehrana village and for not disposing the solid waste in a scientific manner.
The HSPCB has initiated this action on a complaint of one Ashish of Ugrakheri village in the National Green Tribunal. Now, the board has also served a notice to the Municipal Corporation (MC) for not disposing of garbage scientifically.
As per the status report of the HSPCB filed in the NGT, a total of 360 MT legacy waste is lying at the site, and there was no segregation of garbage done by the JBM.
The waste dumped in the open land is causing damage to the upper soil and leachate percolate through soil thus contaminating groundwater.
The HSPCB has served a show-cause notice to JBM, but failed to reply after which the board has recommended an EC of Rs 11.22 lakh on the company. It served notice to the Joint Commissioner, MC for not disposing the legacy waste scientifically.
