<p>The National Green Tribunal has imposed an Rs 1.5 crore penalty on KIADB for violating environmental rules in the Doddaballapur Industrial Area, located in the Thippagondanahalli Reservoir (TGR) catchment Area. </p>.<p>The tribunal has constituted a four-member committee to monitor the compliance.</p>.<p>The Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) developed 696.45 acres spread across six villages in Doddaballapura and Devanahalli taluk for Phase 3 of the Doddaballapur Industrial Area.</p>.<p>Officials received the environment clearance from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority in March 2016 to establish ‘Green’ and ‘Orange’ category industries.</p>.<p>In 2017, the petitioners challenged the clearance given for the industrial area in TGR Catchment Area, which is ecologically sensitive. In their application, they contended that the clearance by SEIAA as well as other bodies like the KSPCB were illegal. They further said that the KIADB had violated the conditions laid down for providing the clearance.</p>.<p>The activists filed an appeal in 2019, opposing the clearance given to use 10 acres of the industrial area for establishing a red category industry.</p>.<p>A five-judge bench chaired by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel disposed of a petition by S K Vijayakumar recently, upholding the findings of a joint committee set up to verify the allegations.</p>.<p>The joint committee set up after an NGT order had submitted two reports to verify the allegations of the petitioners. It found several violations but said the state government’s 2003 notification doesn’t designate TGR Catchment Area as an ecologically sensitive area (ESA).</p>.<p>The violations included construction activities taken up before obtaining environment clearance, non-compliance with the rules regarding the establishment of green belt, failing file compliance reports among others. Under the ‘Polluter Pays Principle’, the committee assessed the environmental compensation at Rs 1.53 crore.</p>.<p class="CrossHead">Not ESA</p>.<p>The NGT upheld the committee’s report that the TGR Catchment Area is not ESA as the government notification provides “no bar to setting up industries”. It also upheld the committee’s calculation of the compensation for violations.</p>.<p>Noting that need to protect water bodies and the drainage systems of the catchment area, the NGT has set up a four-member joint committee headed by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Environment Department to monitor the terms.</p>
<p>The National Green Tribunal has imposed an Rs 1.5 crore penalty on KIADB for violating environmental rules in the Doddaballapur Industrial Area, located in the Thippagondanahalli Reservoir (TGR) catchment Area. </p>.<p>The tribunal has constituted a four-member committee to monitor the compliance.</p>.<p>The Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) developed 696.45 acres spread across six villages in Doddaballapura and Devanahalli taluk for Phase 3 of the Doddaballapur Industrial Area.</p>.<p>Officials received the environment clearance from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority in March 2016 to establish ‘Green’ and ‘Orange’ category industries.</p>.<p>In 2017, the petitioners challenged the clearance given for the industrial area in TGR Catchment Area, which is ecologically sensitive. In their application, they contended that the clearance by SEIAA as well as other bodies like the KSPCB were illegal. They further said that the KIADB had violated the conditions laid down for providing the clearance.</p>.<p>The activists filed an appeal in 2019, opposing the clearance given to use 10 acres of the industrial area for establishing a red category industry.</p>.<p>A five-judge bench chaired by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel disposed of a petition by S K Vijayakumar recently, upholding the findings of a joint committee set up to verify the allegations.</p>.<p>The joint committee set up after an NGT order had submitted two reports to verify the allegations of the petitioners. It found several violations but said the state government’s 2003 notification doesn’t designate TGR Catchment Area as an ecologically sensitive area (ESA).</p>.<p>The violations included construction activities taken up before obtaining environment clearance, non-compliance with the rules regarding the establishment of green belt, failing file compliance reports among others. Under the ‘Polluter Pays Principle’, the committee assessed the environmental compensation at Rs 1.53 crore.</p>.<p class="CrossHead">Not ESA</p>.<p>The NGT upheld the committee’s report that the TGR Catchment Area is not ESA as the government notification provides “no bar to setting up industries”. It also upheld the committee’s calculation of the compensation for violations.</p>.<p>Noting that need to protect water bodies and the drainage systems of the catchment area, the NGT has set up a four-member joint committee headed by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Environment Department to monitor the terms.</p>
