<p>High Court judge Shailendra Kumar pulled up Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, for its failure to act as an ‘enforcer’ in curbing pollution in the state, at the regional Lok Adalat on environment held at Zilla Panchayat here on Saturday. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The judge sought a comparative list of the standards for effluents allowed to be discharged to the seas in India, USA and European countries, to be submitted in the next meeting. “Highly polluting industries are shifting to developing countries. Pollution control standards in India are not rigid,” he noted.<br /><br />Member of High Court Legal Services Committee Yellappa Reddy, questioning the clean-chit given by researchers from Fisheries College, Mangalore, that Mangalore Refineries and Petro-Chemicals Limited (MRPL) was not responsible for pollution at the coasts of Dakshina Kannada, said the committee has noticed ‘direct damage by the effluents’ discharged by the company.<br /><br />Noting that MRPL suggests parameters for analysis of sea-water, “Why should we be under the obligation of a polluter?” he questioned. Justice Kumar instructed Dakshina Kannada district administration ‘not to allow polluting industries to pay for such reports’.<br />“How has the funds, worth Rs 300 crore, given to KSPCB utilised?” he questioned.<br /><br />Referring to a CAG report, Yellappa Reddy noted that 377 units were operating without air pollution control systems in Mysore. <br /><br />In-charge DC of Mysore Ajay Nagabhushan said efforts were made to curb air pollution in the district. <br /><br />It was also noted that out of the 400 tonnes of waste generated in Mysore, 200 tonnes were disposed at land-fill sites. Justice Kumar said progress n solid waste management seemed lethargic in Mysore and advised to look for alternative solutions to handle waste, rather than dumping them at land-fill sites.<br /><br />Responding to questions by the bench on the discharge of hazardous chemicals by Udupi Power Corporation Limited (UPCL), Udupi DC M T Reju said though there were problems due to pollution in the initial years, now UPCL was following KSPCB norms.<br /><br />However, it was noted at the Adalat that the parameters to regulate pollution was arbitrarily raised. <br /><br />Judge Kumar observed that standards of assessing pollution by UPCL was lowered and said that it ‘could spell disaster to a very sensitive, unique bio-sphere of the Western Ghats’.<br /><br />Concerns<br /><br />Pointing at the concerns of tribals in the forest regions of Kodagu, the bench said though environmental protection was necessary, that should not be an excuse to dislocate the tribals. <br /><br />“If they are willing to come out, re-locate them. Or else, let them stay,” Justice Kumar suggested.<br /><br />Condemning the inappropriate management of waste in the country, Yellappa Reddy said India imported waste paper worth Rs 48,000 crore annually, while paper was being just thrown away in the country.<br /></p>
<p>High Court judge Shailendra Kumar pulled up Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, for its failure to act as an ‘enforcer’ in curbing pollution in the state, at the regional Lok Adalat on environment held at Zilla Panchayat here on Saturday. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The judge sought a comparative list of the standards for effluents allowed to be discharged to the seas in India, USA and European countries, to be submitted in the next meeting. “Highly polluting industries are shifting to developing countries. Pollution control standards in India are not rigid,” he noted.<br /><br />Member of High Court Legal Services Committee Yellappa Reddy, questioning the clean-chit given by researchers from Fisheries College, Mangalore, that Mangalore Refineries and Petro-Chemicals Limited (MRPL) was not responsible for pollution at the coasts of Dakshina Kannada, said the committee has noticed ‘direct damage by the effluents’ discharged by the company.<br /><br />Noting that MRPL suggests parameters for analysis of sea-water, “Why should we be under the obligation of a polluter?” he questioned. Justice Kumar instructed Dakshina Kannada district administration ‘not to allow polluting industries to pay for such reports’.<br />“How has the funds, worth Rs 300 crore, given to KSPCB utilised?” he questioned.<br /><br />Referring to a CAG report, Yellappa Reddy noted that 377 units were operating without air pollution control systems in Mysore. <br /><br />In-charge DC of Mysore Ajay Nagabhushan said efforts were made to curb air pollution in the district. <br /><br />It was also noted that out of the 400 tonnes of waste generated in Mysore, 200 tonnes were disposed at land-fill sites. Justice Kumar said progress n solid waste management seemed lethargic in Mysore and advised to look for alternative solutions to handle waste, rather than dumping them at land-fill sites.<br /><br />Responding to questions by the bench on the discharge of hazardous chemicals by Udupi Power Corporation Limited (UPCL), Udupi DC M T Reju said though there were problems due to pollution in the initial years, now UPCL was following KSPCB norms.<br /><br />However, it was noted at the Adalat that the parameters to regulate pollution was arbitrarily raised. <br /><br />Judge Kumar observed that standards of assessing pollution by UPCL was lowered and said that it ‘could spell disaster to a very sensitive, unique bio-sphere of the Western Ghats’.<br /><br />Concerns<br /><br />Pointing at the concerns of tribals in the forest regions of Kodagu, the bench said though environmental protection was necessary, that should not be an excuse to dislocate the tribals. <br /><br />“If they are willing to come out, re-locate them. Or else, let them stay,” Justice Kumar suggested.<br /><br />Condemning the inappropriate management of waste in the country, Yellappa Reddy said India imported waste paper worth Rs 48,000 crore annually, while paper was being just thrown away in the country.<br /></p>
