Latest news with #Water(PreventionandControlofPollution)Act
India Today
15 hours ago
- Health
- India Today
National Green Tribunal issues notice to Chennai collector over canal pollution
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the Chennai District Collector and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, seeking their responses regarding pollution concerns in the Captain Cotton Canal in Tribunal was hearing a suo motu (initiated on its own, without formal complaint or petition from an external party) case concerning the Captain Cotton Canal, which has become severely clogged due to the widespread dumping of garbage and the discharge of untreated an order dated May 29, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel said, "As per the news item, the situation becomes particularly dire at the stretch near Anderson Road, close to the Ayanavaram bus stand, where heaps of plastic waste and garbage severely impede the water flow." The report further highlighted the discharge of untreated raw sewage directly into the canal, worsening its condition and contributing to the degradation of the once-functional waterway.'The news item indicates violation of the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, Solid Waste Management Rules and the Environment (Protection) Act,' the tribunal bench observed that the news report raised 'substantial issues' concerning compliance with environmental the tribunal added the Chennai District Collector and the Member Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board as parties to the case and directed: 'Issue notice to the above respondents for filing their response/reply.'advertisementThe matter has been scheduled to be heard before the NGT's Southern Zonal Bench in Chennai on August by Rahen Philip IN THIS STORY#Tamil Nadu
Business Upturn
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Upturn
Sarda Energy & Minerals receives green nod for coal washery expansion to 1.8 MTPA
By Aditya Bhagchandani Published on June 2, 2025, 18:05 IST Sarda Energy & Minerals Limited has received official approval from the Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board to expand its coal washery operations in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh. The consent, granted under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, allows the company to increase its coal washery capacity from 0.96 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 1.8 MTPA. The development marks a significant milestone in the company's ongoing efforts to scale its operations and enhance capacity. The expansion aligns with Sarda Energy's broader strategic goals in resource processing and infrastructure. The company disclosed this update to the exchanges on June 2, 2025, in compliance with Regulation 30 of SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015. Aditya Bhagchandani serves as the Senior Editor and Writer at Business Upturn, where he leads coverage across the Business, Finance, Corporate, and Stock Market segments. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to journalistic integrity, he not only contributes insightful articles but also oversees editorial direction for the reporting team.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Kerala shipwreck: NGT asks shipping firm MSC to clarify hazardous cargo in sunken Liberia-flagged vessel
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has stated that Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) that owned the Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC Elsa 3 that sank off the Kochi coast on May 25, 2025 was expected to clarify on the contents of the hazardous cargo in the 13 of the 640 containers. An order dated May 27, 2025 issued by the Principal Bench of the tribunal in New Delhi pointed out that there were chances of serious impact to the marine and coastal environment affecting the biodiversity and water quality of the area as the sunken ship was carrying hazardous materials such as calcium carbide, oil and other undisclosed items. The Bench, comprising Prakash Shrivastava, chairperson, and A. Senthil Vel, expert member, said that the incident violated the provisions under the Biodiversity Act, 2002; Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Environment Protection Act, 1986. Suo motu cognisance The order was issued after the tribunal took suo motu cognisance of the report titled Containers from sunken ship likely to drift towards Alappuzha, Kollam Coasts in 48 hours: INCOIS published in The Hindu. 'On account of wave, wind and current actions of the waters, these pollutants can travel to other coastal parts of the country, including Lakshadweep islands, affecting them. The impact on the Lakshadweep island will be severe as the island coastal water has high bio-diversity with corals,' it said. The Bench has asked the Member Secretaries of the Central Pollution Control Board, Lakshadweep Pollution Control Committee, Kerala State Pollution Control Board; Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways; Director General, Indian Coast Guard: and Director, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) to submit their responses on the shipwreck one week before the next hearing on July 30, 2025. Besides the 13 containers with hazardous cargo, the vessel was carrying 12 containers having calcium carbide. It was also loaded with 84.44 MT of diesel and 367.1 MT of furnace oil, according to official estimates.
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Water bodies lost to urbanisation? NGT serves notice to Haryana over encroachments
Gurgaon: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) last week issued notices to Haryana govt, MCG, HSVP and the state's pond and water management authority to respond to allegations that at least four water bodies in the city have been built over or encroached upon. NGT chairperson justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Dr A Senthil Vel, in their order on May 30 said the matter raises questions about compliance of environmental norms and degradation of natural resources. "Issue notice to the respondents for filing their response/reply by way of affidavit before the tribunal at least one week before the next date of hearing through e-filing… The applicant has also been asked to serve the respondents and submit an affidavit of service within the same timeline," the order, which was uploaded on May 31, said. The tribunal will take up the case next on Oct 10. NGT was hearing a petition filed by activist Vaishali Rana who raised concerns about the loss of ponds, which act as a natural stormwater drains, in a rapidly urbanising city. According to the plea, four ponds in the city are listed in revenue records, but have either been constructed over or encroached on illegally. Two of these are in Gwalpahari's Wazirabad (khasra numbers 85 and 90), another in Nirvana Country society in Sector 50, and one near Harijan Basti in Badshapur. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Rana also submitted a right to information (RTI) reply from Dec 2024, in which MCG admitted to encroachments of ponds in Nirvana Country and Badshapur. The activist also presented satellite imagery of Nirvana Country to show that a former MCG councillor had built his office over a pond there. "Google satellite imagery shows a building at a spot where a natural water catchment used to be. I also got an RTI reply, which says that there has been encroachment on the water bodies," Rana told TOI on Sunday. Natural ponds are protected under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. In 2001, the Supreme Court also ruled in the Hinch Lal Tiwari vs Kamala Devi and others case that 'ponds' were a public utility meant for common use and they could not be allotted or commercialised. The apex court has since issued similar judgments. Asked about the petition, an MCG official said on Sunday that the matter is sub-judice. "But we will carry out investigations and check if there are encroachments on water bodies," he added. Rana said the case reflects a broader trend, where unchecked concretization is destroying natural water bodies.
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Over 40 Noida societies lack pollution board nod to operate STPs
NOIDA : An RTI reply has revealed that 43 group housing societies in the city lack the mandatory consent to operate (CTO) for their sewage treatment plants (STPs). CTO is a mandatory authorisation issued by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board ( UPPCB ) under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act. It permits industries, commercial establishments, and group housing societies to operate their facilities while ensuring that their emissions, effluents, and waste management systems comply with environmental standards. Amit Gupta, a resident of Prateek Wisteria in Sector 77, had filed an RTI application on April 29 asking the pollution control board for the list of societies without CTOs, the action taken against them, fines imposed and recovered, and the names of those societies against which cases were filed in the Special Pollution Court in Lucknow. In its reply dated May 20, UPPCB stated that 43 group housing societies did not obtain the required CTO for their STPs. The list included prominent names such as Lotus Boulevard, Supertech Capetown, Sikka Karmic, Logix Blossom County, Antriksh Golf View, Ajnara Grand Heritage, Prateek Wisteria, NRI City Homes, and Logix Blossom Zest, among others. As per the reply, prosecution proceedings have been initiated against 34 of the identified societies. Of these, environmental compensation amounting to Rs 27 crore has been imposed on 30. Notices were sent to the rest. However, the board stated it had no data in its records on how much of the fines were actually recovered. The current status of these cases in the special court was not available with the office. Lack of CTOs does not necessarily mean that societies do not have functional STPs. On the other hand, in some cases, it may also indicate that societies never had STPs to begin with. Additionally, many of them lack Occupancy Certificates (OC) and Completion Certificates (CC), pointing to a major procedural failure. For example, Gupta's society, Prateek Wisteria, does not have a CTO but has had a functional STP since 2019. "A large number of societies do not have CTOs to operate STPs, which suggests that occupancy and completion certificates were issued without the Authority verifying the status of STPs. Of these 43 societies, about 60%-70% are located in sectors 74, 75, 76, 77, and 78. Many of them cannot even install STPs now due to lack of space within the premises and insufficient funds, as the builder has already handed over the project. The Authority should intervene and lay a separate sewage pipeline connecting these societies to the nearest operational STP in Sector 50," Gupta told TOI. Pointing out the lack of coordination between the UPPCB and the Noida Authority, Gupta stated, "The Authority and the pollution control board are not working together on this issue. They conduct inspections separately and impose fines independently. Often, they are not even aware of each other's actions. Also, the responsibility of establishing STPs and obtaining CTOs lies with the builder, as per the law. It is not the responsibility of the AOA." Meanwhile, Noida Authority officials said they are monitoring societies flouting environmental norms. Noida CEO Lokesh M said, "OC/CCs are issued after checking whether societies have facilities such as STPs, fire safety, and lift clearances. It is more of an operational issue, as the societies fail to run these facilities properly after homebuyers start living there. The Authority takes action as public health is at stake. However, it is the pollution control board's primary responsibility to impose fines and take legal action. As far as the Authority is concerned, we will continue with our enforcement drive." In a recent drive, the Authority took action against eight societies that either lacked functional STPs or were discharging untreated sewage into open drains, bypassing norms that require treated water to be released into sewer lines. These included RG Residency in Sector 120, Sikka Karmic in Sector 78, Lotus Boulevard in Sector 100, Lotus Panache in Sector 110, Purvanchal Royal Park in Sector 137, Aims Max Gardenia in Sector 75, Prateek Stylome in Sector 45, and Amrapali Silicon City in Sector 76. The drive also extended to Maharishi Ashram near Lotus Panache. The Authority wrote to the registrar of firms, societies, and chits in Meerut seeking cancellation of registration for both the Ashram and the Panache society. However, the Allahabad High Court stayed coercive action against RG Residency. Noida officials said that an environmental cell has been formed to verify whether STPs have been installed. The cell has been asked to compile data on STPs in all group housing societies. As per rules, all residential societies with a floor area of 20,000 sqm or more must have an STP. No new OC is currently being issued without verifying the CTO for the society's STP, officials added.
