The Tripura government through its Chief Secretary has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it has set aside ring-fence amounting to (Rs 282.5 crore + Rs 100 crore for urban solid and sewage management) solid as well as liquid waste management in the state.
The Tribunal noted that “the ring-fence amount of at least Rs 382.5/- crore should be set aside with reference to a statement of the Chief Secretary, Tripura which has been taken on record and that such funds should be kept as “non-lapsed”.
A bench headed by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, in an order passed on April 13, 2023, told that “the Chief Secretary, Tripura may take further remedial measures to ensure compliance with the Solid Waste Management Rules, which are in violation of the statutory timelines”.
The tribunal further directed that
“community compost pits be maintained properly, ensure that compost produced is fully utilized and standardized designs be implemented at city and village level and progress of installation duly monitored”.
” Plastic waste and construction and demolition waste processing plants should be set up to ensure that bio-medical, hazardous and e-waste are not mixed with solid waste and treated. Immediate efforts may be made to ensure connectivity with the STPs and proposed STPs as further directed by the Tribunal”
The Tribunal further stated that:
We hope that in the light of the interaction with the Chief Secretary, the State of Tripura will take further measures in the matter with an innovative approach and strict monitoring, ensuring that untreated waste and liquid waste along with old waste Production and remediation are bridged at the earliest by adopting alternative/interim measures, as far as feasible, shortening the proposed timelines. There is a need to implement the restoration plans at the earliest, simultaneously in all districts/cities/towns/villages in a time-bound manner without any delay, with well-established monitoring mechanisms at the state and district levels.
The tribunal also said that:
The District Magistrates should take responsibility of monitoring sewage and solid waste management and regularly report to the Chief Secretary on a monthly basis and overall compliance should be ensured by the Chief Secretary, for which regular meetings should be held.
Earlier, while awarding environmental compensation in several states, the NGT had observed that “award of compensation under Section 15 of the NGT Act has become necessary to remedy the damage caused to the environment and to comply with the directions of the Supreme Court”.
This tribunal may be required to monitor the implementation of norms for solid and liquid waste management. Further, mere passing of orders, without fixing the required quantitative obligation for restoration, has not shown any concrete result even after statutory/expiration in the last several years (for solid waste management) and five years (for liquid waste management) prescribed time limit.
The bench said that the damage sustained needs to be prevented in future and the damage done in the past has to be restored.
The directions were passed by the Green Court examining the issues of solid and liquid waste management in pursuance of the Supreme Court order dated September 2, 2014 and an order dated February 22, 2017, regarding solid waste management. liquid waste management.
