SC stays NGT order asking Maharashtra government to pay Rs 12K crore environmental compensation
Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed a National Green Tribunal’s order that asked the Maharashtra government to pay Rs 12000 crore as environmental compensation for improper waste management in the state.
A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud while seeking response from the tribunal stayed the last year’s September 8 order that imposed Rs 12000 crore fine on the Maharashtra government.
Making a strong case for the stay, senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the state government, argued that “there are so many zeros that I cannot even count in the fine.”
The state government submitted that it was one of the best performing states at National level under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and had consistently been among the top states in Swachh Survekshan.
Besides, it claimed to allocated Rs 25,375 crore under SBM (Urban) 2.0 and AMRUT 2.0 which includes solid waste management, scientific processing of waste, recycling and reuse of sewage and construction of sewage treatment plants.
Despite taking major steps in management of solid and liquid waste, the NGT erroneously imposed a compensation of Rs 12,000 crore in view of gap in solid and liquid waste generation and treatment by the state, he said, adding thereafter, the NGT on May 4 dismissed the review application against the September last year’s order on the premise that the application does not put forward any tangible ground and was a mere expression of inability to pay the compensation as directed in the September order.
It further argued that it had followed the statutory rules and orders of the SC and the NGT with respect to the compliance of norms and had done substantial work in the field of solid and liquid waste management since years.
Last year, a
