The National Green Tribunal has directed a private granite company in Haryana’s Mahendragarh to pay Rs 3 crore interim compensation for violating environmental norms.
A bench of chairperson Justice A K Goel noted that the company had filed an application stating it had complied with the environmental norms but the annexed documents did not conclusively show it actually did.
The bench, also comprising judicial members Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi along with expert member Afroz Ahmad, said the lease in favour of the project proponent (PP) or the company commenced in October 2017 and environmental clearance (EC) was granted in September 2019 but there was nothing to show compliance from 2019 to 2022.
“Thus, in view of the violation of conditions for not undertaking plantations and developing a green belt and not installing Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQM) and Rain Water Harvesting systems(RWH), PP is to be held accountable on ‘Polluter Pays’ principle under sections 20 read with 15 of the NGT Act,” the bench said.
Pending the determination of final compensation by the state Pollution Control Board (PCB), the bench directed the company to pay an interim compensation of Rs 3crore for the restoration of the environment.
The amount has to be deposited within one month with the District Magistrate, the green panel said.
It also directed the state PCB to determine whether the company was complying with the environmental norms.
The tribunal was hearing a petition against violation of environmental clearance (EC) consent terms granted to Nimawat Granite Private Limited at Mahendragarh district in Haryana.