NGT imposes ₹4,000 crore fine on Bihar government for improper waste management

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday directed the State of Bihar to pay ₹4,000 crore in compensation for failing to adequately treat solid and liquid waste. [In re: Compliance of Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and other environmental issues].A coram of Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel, Sudhir Agarwal and Arun Kumar Tyagi as well as expert members Dr A Senthil Veil and Dr Afroz Ahmad, based on a presentation by the Chief Secretary of Bihar, observed that there were gaps in generation and processing of waste to the detriment of the environment and public health."From the above, it is seen that there are still gaps in generation and processing of waste to the detriment of environment and public health which need to be urgently addressed in the light of binding timelines as well as need for good governance for meaningful enforcement of right of citizens to clean environment," the order recorded..The order was passed pursuant to the Supreme Court's directions in the cases of Almitra H Patel v. Union of India and Paryavaran Suraksha v. Union of India requiring the Tribunal to monitor enforcement of solid and liquid waste management norms..The NGT determined the compensation in respect of the gap in treatment of liquid waste to be about ₹4,000 crore. In respect of solid waste, the Tribunal did not levy a compensation for the time being, as the data was incomplete.It directed the State to deposit the same in a separate ring-fenced account to be operated as per directions of the Chief Secretary and to be utilised for restoration measures.The restoration measures would include setting up of solid waste processing facilities, remediation of legacy waste and setting up of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and fecal sludge and septage treatment plants (FSSTPs) so there remains no gap..The Tribunal also called for a change in approach to administrative processes adoped by the State, suggesting,"Thus, it may be necessary to brainstorm with available experts and other stake holders in the State at different levels, evolve models for both solid and sewage management which can be fast replicated, initiate special campaigns with community/media involvement in the larger interest of protecting environment and public health with determination for prompt action.".Bihar is not the only state to have been fined by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for inadequate waste management. In 2022, several other states such as Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh were also penalized by the NGT for the same reason..[Read Order]