NEW DELHI, July 14 — The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has pulled up the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) and the Haryana Water Resources Authority (HWRA) for failing to comply with its earlier directives regarding the discharge of untreated industrial effluents into Panipat’s Drain No. 6.
Issuing fresh notices to the Member Secretaries of both agencies, the NGT expressed displeasure over the absence of a compliance report, despite clear instructions and fixed timelines.
“No such compliance report by or on behalf of the Member Secretary, HSPCB or HWRA has been received,” the Tribunal stated. The Principal Bench, headed by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, has now directed both officials to file affidavits explaining the delay and failure to act on its previous order.
The case stems from a petition filed by Ramesh Kumar, a farmer from Chulkana village, who approached the NGT in 2023 alleging that untreated chemical effluents and toxic gases from liquor manufacturer Haryana Organics Ltd., located in Samalkha, were damaging his crops.
Following a site inspection conducted on March 14 last year by a joint committee comprising officials from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), HSPCB, and the Panipat Sub-Divisional Magistrate, the committee confirmed the illegal discharge of untreated effluents into agricultural land via Drain No. 6.
Based on those findings, the NGT had, on October 25, 2023, imposed an environmental compensation of ₹33.90 lakh on the unit and directed the HSPCB and HWRA to undertake a comprehensive cleanup of the contaminated drain. Additional instructions included halting any further discharge, conducting regular water quality monitoring, ensuring safe disposal of boiler ash, performing hazardous waste audits, and using ₹22 lakh from the penalty amount for implementing a local environmental improvement plan.
Further, the HWRA had been specifically instructed to dispose of a pending application related to the matter, dated June 19, 2022, within three months. The Tribunal had also mandated that a detailed compliance report be filed within one month of completing the assigned actions.
However, the absence of any submission has prompted the NGT to demand immediate clarification from both authorities. The Bench stressed that non-compliance with environmental orders not only undermines the Tribunal’s authority but also puts public health and ecological safety at risk.
The matter will now be heard after the concerned officials respond with their affidavits.
