NGT fine: West Bengal deposits Rs 3,500 crore in ring-fenced account

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has taken on record a report by the West Bengal government, saying it has deposited in a ring-fenced account a fine of Rs 3,500 crore imposed as compensation for damage to the environment due to the huge gap in solid and liquid waste generation and treatment on September 1.

"The report is taken on record. Further restoration measures may be continued, as directed earlier," a bench comprising chairperson A K Goel said in an order passed on December 21.

The bench also comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel directed that a copy of the order be sent for information to the chief secretaries of all states and union territories, the Union Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change, the Ministry of Urban Development, National Mission for Clean Ganga, and Central Pollution Control Board.

The state had submitted a report dated November 24, according to which, in pursuance of the tribunal's directions, the department of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs created two separate ring-fenced accounts under the scheme Solid Waste Management Mission.

The accounts were opened in the public account of the State Urban Development Agency (SUDA) after getting the concurrence of the state Finance Department, and Rs 3,500 crore was deposited in an account, the report said.

"The said account is to be operated as per directions of the Chief Secretary and utilised for restoration measures, including preventing discharge of untreated sewage and solid waste treatment or processing facilities, as per appropriate mechanism for planning and execution in pursuance of the aforesaid order of the NGT," a document annexed to the report said.

While passing its earlier order, the green panel found that of the 2,758 million litres of sewage generation every day across urban local bodies in West Bengal, not more than 1,268 million litres was treated, and this was far short of the project treatment capacity of 1505.85 million litres despite setting up several sewage treatment plants.

"It is necessary to determine accountability for the past failures causing huge damage to the environment and public health and to meet cost of remediation," the tribunal said.