Gokarna pollution case: NGT imposes Rs 20k cost on RDPR dept

Bengaluru: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has slapped a cost of Rs 20,000 on the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Department for failing to submit a report on remedial action proposed to end the pollution caused by waste in the temple town of Gokarna in Uttara Kannada district.

The NGT's southern zone bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert-member Vijay Kulkarni, was hearing a suo motu case registered on the basis of the DH report on unregulated tourism pushing Gokarna to the edge.

During the previous hearing in April, the tribunal had said a report on the mitigation measures submitted by the deputy commissioner "fails to address any remedial action." It directed the RDPR principal secretary to submit a "detailed action plan along with a specific timeframe" with a warning of costs for delay.

During the hearing on July 3, the bench expressed displeasure after the counsel for the Uttara Kannada deputy commissioner stated that no such report had been prepared.

The bench said no justifiable reason was given for the failure to submit the report. "We are constrained to direct the principal secretary, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, to file the report only upon payment of costs amounting to Rs 20,000 payable to Sri Mahabaleshwara Temple," it said, adding that the temple management should utilise the money to manage solid waste.

Further, the bench warned that if the report is not filed prior to August 25, the RDPR principal secretary has to appear in person.