NGT Panel Recommends Rs 1.54 Cr Fine On Odisha’s Bargarh Municipality; Know Why

Bhubaneswar: A Committee formed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has recommended imposition of Rs 1.54 crore fine on Bargarh Municipality in Odisha as environmental compensation for dumping garbage at a place for around 15 years.

The joint committee, constituted by the NGT to look into the problem caused by the non-disposal of waste by the municipality, has found the civic body liable to pay the penalty as environmental compensation.

The panel has submitted its report before the NGT’s east zone bench at Kolkata together with an affidavit filed by the member secretary of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB).

The NGT, which had constituted the joint committee while taking up a petition, has fixed November 2 as the next date of hearing. The petition was filed by Ramakanta Rout and six other residents of Purushottam Nagar located in ward No. 15 of Bargarh.

The panel in its report noted that the Bargarh Municipality has dumped around 51,476 metric tonnes of garbage over ten to 15 years on 1.59 acres in ward No 15. Therefore, the Municipality is liable to pay over Rs 1.54 crore at the rate of Rs 300 per metric tonne of garbage, it stated.

It was also accompanied by a report of the OSPCB regarding alleged pollution of the Jira river because of release of untreated sewerage from Bargarh town. The report said there has been an increase in coliform bacteria downstream compared to upstream of the river.

It may be noted that Bargarh town generates around 35.5 metric tonnes of municipal waste every day.