NGT acts tough on air pollution, directs 6 states to submit action plan by April 30
The National Green Tribunal has directed six states to submit by April 30 action plans for bringing air quality standards within the prescribed norms, failing which they would be liable to pay environment compensation of Rs 1 crore each.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel ordered the chief secretaries of Assam, Jharkhand Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Nagaland governments to submit their plan within the stipulated time.
"We direct chief secretaries of the states in respect of which action plans have not been filed to forthwith furnish such action plans," the bench, also comprising Justices S P Wangdi and K Ramakrishnan, said.
The States, where action plans are found to be deficient and deficiencies are not removed till April 30, 2019, will be liable to pay Rs 25 lakh each and the timeline for execution of the action plans is six months from the date their finalisation, the bench said.
It said that budgetary provision must be made for execution of such ...