Polluter Pays: Paper mill to pay compensation for causing animal deaths in UP’s Sitapur district

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]HE National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) and the Central Ground Water Authority to jointly assess the compensation J B Daruka Paper Limited must pay for causing pollution that resulted in the death of animals in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur District, pending which the mill was asked to deposit Rs 10 lakh as an interim measure.

An NGT panel headed by Chairperson Justice A K Goel, Judicial Members Justices S P Wangdi and K Ramakrishnan and Expert Member Dr Nagin Ananda in its order directed the committee to assess the compensation that the paper mill should pay within one month. “Pending such assessment, a sum of Rs. 10 lakhs be recovered from the unit, by way of interim compensation which may be deposited with the CPCB to be used for the restoration of the environment,” the order said.

A joint report submitted by CPCB and SPCB said J B Daruka Paper Limited had violated several rules including the installation of a borewell without permission, the illegal extraction of groundwater and an absence of a flow metre for recycling effluents. “Even though compliance of norms of water quality was shown, such compliance was doubtful,” the report that was submitted to the NGT, said.

Read the order here:

[pdfviewer]https://cdn.theleaflet.in/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/13083522/NGT-Sitapur-firm-must-pay.pdf[/pdfviewer]