Chandrapur: National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued bailable warrants against 12 district collectors over non-compliance of directives issued by the tribunal on Environment Interest Litigation (EIL) related to high impact of fluorosis in different districts of Vidarbha and Marathwada. NGT had issued seven point directives to all these collectors and other respondent while disposing the EIL in January 2016.
"As many of the respondent collectors failed to file their compliance with the NGT, the tribunal has taken suo motu cognisance of non-compliance and issued warrants," informed one of the petitioner Adv Asim Sarode.
Nine socio-legal advocates working with 'Sahyob Trust' filed a case at NGT and brought to its notice issues highlighting the social, environmental and health impacts of high content of fluoride in underground water in 12 districts in Vidarbha and Marathwada. The districts included Nanded, Chandrapur, Beed, Yavatmal, Latur, Washim, Parbhani, Hingoli, Jalna, Jalgaon, Nagpur and Bhandara.
Collectors of all the 12 districts were made parties, in addition to the secretary, ministry of health and regional officers of MPCB regional offices of the said districts. NGT issued seven point directives to the respondents and told them to implement them in time bound manner to address the problem.
Petitioner Sarode said, " It is unfortunate that state government and its authorities are showing complete failure in addressing serious issues related to larger public health. This is serious case where government was expected to work in coordination. However, the clear absence of good governance indicates that rather than addressing the hard-core issues, the state government is just addressing non-issues."
Chandrapur's district collector, Ashutosh Salil, ratified of the warrant but maintained that his office has already filed compliance with the NGT.
