New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has imposed fines on colleges and malls, which generate huge quantities of waste and fail to treat sewage, in Delhi for not complying with environment laws.
A bench, headed by NGT chief Justice Swatanter Kumar slapped a fine of Rs 1.5 lakhs on East-Delhi based Cross River Mall, Rs 1 lakh on Mahatta Towers Pvt Ltd and Rs 50,000 on Aggarwal Fun City Mall. They have been asked to deposit the amount within two weeks.
The tribunal penalised Vivekananda Mahila College, Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies and Shyam Lal College and directed them to install anti-pollution devices within three months. The green panel imposed an environment compensation of '25,000 each on them for not taking adequate measures to protect ecology.
In case of default, the NGT would impose environmental compensation of '5 lakhs on these institutes and they would also have to shut down.
“The notices shall rectify and carry out all the deficiencies pointed out by the inspection committee. They have three months to comply with the recommendations. In the event of default, they shall be liable for further environmental compensation of '5 lakhs and shall have to close down,” the bench said. The tribunal, however, posted the matter for hearing to September 8 with regard to Delhi Technological University.
The NGT had earlier issued notices to major waste generators, including 5-star hotels, malls, hospitals, educational institutions with hostels and housing societies that haven’t yet complied with Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
The NGT order had come after it perused an interim report submitted by a panel set up by it, which recommended action against the defaulters for improper management and treatment of sewage and lack of mechanism to recycle waste.
