The National Green Tribunal on Thursday threatened the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) of coercive orders unless it finds a remedy for its continued absence during hearing of cases resulting in their adjournment.
It said that the Ministry cannot make the tribunal practically non-functional as it is unable to proceed further with the cases. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson, Justice Swatanter Kumar, said, “Default of appearance of MoEF is becoming a routine. The secretary, MoEF be informed, by way of last opportunity, of this persistent issue of the Ministry being absent from majority of the matters listed before it.”
The bench warned, “We can’t take this. We will call for Joint Secretary, then Secretary and still if nothing is done, then we will impose costs that you can’t even imagine,” It has listed for Friday all the matters, in which MoEF was absent, for issuing directions. Earlier too, the tribunal had expressed serious displeasure over the green Ministry’s absence in various part-heard and other matters which had to be adjourned. It had also slapped of Rs 25,000 on the Ministry.
In another judgement, the same bench of NGT held that biomedical waste (BMW) treatment plants are required to obtain environmental clearance (EC) before these are set up as it is a hazardous waste which can produce large number of infectious diseases. It has directed that such treatment plants are to obtain EC from Environment Ministry within a month.
The bench directed, “We hold that the bio-medical waste treatment plants are required to obtain environmental clearance...We direct all the appellants (BMW treatment plants) and respondents (project proponents) to obtain EC in terms of site location, potential environmental impacts and proposed environmental safeguards from Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in accordance with law.
The tribunal further added that if such applications are filed before MoEF, the same shall be dealt with and disposed of expeditiously. It warned that the units or plants which violate the prescribed standards and cause serious pollution, are to be dealt with strictly in accordance with the prescribed penalty or other consequences which may even include the closure of a unit.