Himachal Monsoon Disaster: NGT seeks accountability
National Green Tribunal recently has taken a suo moto cognizance on the media report about the monsoon furry decided to implead battery of state bureaucracy as a party.
The operative part of the NGT order issued on December 20 , 2023, said that on the substantial question relating to the environment due to the implementation of scheduled enactment under the NGT Act, 2 tribunal impleads state chief secretary, Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board, Principal Secretary, Town and Country Planning, Adl Chief Secretary, Forest or Environment and Director, Mining or Industries, as a respondent in the matter.
Replying to the PIL of NGT Advocate General Anoop Rattan stated that units indulged in illegal mining have also been identified and their operations have been suspended. The Advocate General also submitted before the tribunal that indiscriminate and haphazard construction including multi-story buildings on either side of the road in District Solan is an issue pending before Himachal Pradesh High Court at Shimla in another PIL.
NGT said that the government could not dispute that neither any environmental compensation has been imposed upon identified violators by applying the principle of Polluter Pays‟ nor punitive or preventive action has been taken under the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
NGT also said in an eight-page order that the Additional Secretary of Environment & Climate Change also submitted a status report on the steps taken by the government but NGT said that it did not find any effective steps taken for preventing illegal deforestation, mining, etc. as complained in the media report.
NGT posted the matter till February 29, 2024, and directed the State officials to submit their reply within two months.
NGT said that it has taken suo moto cognizance based on a media report that was published on November 25, 2023, almost two months after the rainfury. According to the order media report the relentless monsoon in Himachal Pradesh brought the hill states to its knees by causing immense damage to life and property.
Interim report media blamed only deforestation, ill-planned construction activities, and illegal mining along the river beds as are few reasons responsible for natural calamities in the State.
It is worthwhile to mention here that the state reported massive devastation three months ago in the Monsoon and the media accused ill-planned and unscientific mining mostly along Four lanes and the National Highway mainly responsible for the devastation. 100-metre inclined hills were cut by the NHAI at a 90-degree angle in many places which disrupted National for almost two months.
Union government projects including Hydropowers, Dams, and the National Highway also damaged and washed away in the rainfury however in the matter centre and NHAI, power companies are not implemented party far.
Thousands of trees were uprooted by the reckless cutting of hills in the state.
