NGT slaps Rs280cr fine on tanneries for polluting Ganga

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed Rs 10 crore penalty on Uttar Pradesh government for failing to check sewage discharge containing toxic chromium into river Ganga at Rania and Rakhi Mandi in Kanpur.

The NGT principal bench headed by its Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel also imposed Rs 280 crore fine on 22 tanneries for causing pollution.

The failure in addressing the problem in the last 43 years has caused contamination of ground water and is now affecting health of inhabitants. "Compensation has been assessed only in the year 2019 without it being clear whether there is a chance of actual recovery of the same. There is no explanation for earlier inaction by the State of Uttar Pradesh and the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB)," the bench said in its order.

While asking to keep the fine amount in escorw account, the bench said, the deposit may be made within a month. "The state of Uttar Pradesh is at liberty to recover the amount from the erring officers apart from taking action against the persons responsible," the bench added.

The NGT also held UPPCB liable and directed it to pay Rs 1 crore for ignoring illegal discharge of sewage. Earlier, the tribunal had pulled up the Uttar Pradesh government for failure to check pollution in Ganga river.