Waste management: NGT exempts state from paying Rs 2,000 crore fine

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has exempted Kerala from paying an environmental fine of over Rs 2,000 crore that was imposed for failure in implementing waste management programmes. The NGT took the decision after considering that the state has already allocated a significant amount to tackle the waste management issue.

Dr Venu V, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, submitted that Rs 2343.18 crore was ringfenced for addressing the issue of sewage and sullage management under projects including Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation and Swachh Bharat Gramin.

The state submitted that it has set aside Rs 84.628 crore to meet the gap in treatment of sewage of 42.314 MLD. “In view of the above submission, it does not appear to be necessary to levy compensation as the purpose is served if the state abides by the above statement,” a bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said in an order.

The bench comprising Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel, also sought six monthly progress reports on the matter.Earlier in July, the green tribunal had come down on the state government for not fixing accountability for the continuing gaps in the management of solid and liquid waste generated daily.

The tribunal noted that out of 1192 MLD of sewage generated, treatment in common individual and septage plants is only to the extent of about 200 MLD leaving a gap of more than 1000 MLD.
It was observed that the mechanism adopted in bigger cities like Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and others for handling sewage and sullage separately is not clear.

In its latest status report, the state apprised that regarding biomining, 44 dump sites having a capacity of 7.41 lakh tonnes were identified in the state.Regarding sewage, 1,192 MLD is generated from six corporations and 87 municipalities. This sewage is treated through 134.51 MLD common STPs, 73 MLD through individual STPs, 0.21 MLD in septage plants and the remaining in septic tanks/soak pits in individual residences, it was submitted.