On the directions of the National Green Tribunal, Punjab Pollution Control Board enforced penalties on its 163 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). It comes after the NGT orders on 10 Jan 2020, O.A No. 606 of 2018, on continued noncompliance of Solid Waste Management in 163 ULBs of Punjab.
On 23 March 2021 PPCB enforced the penalty of Rs 17 crore on 163 ULBs for 9 months. Further penalty would also be enforced soon on the ULBs in near future. Different districts enforced different sets of penalties based on their population, waste size, and time of noncompliance, states Karunesh Garg, Member Secretary, PPCB.
The Urban Local Bodies submitted its 1st penalty installment of Rs 17.01 Crore as Environmental Compensation to the PPCB. This is because a total of 163 ULBs have been failed to take up proper solid waste management in their respective areas. And the tonnes of Solid Waste kept on piling up in the cities of Punjab.
“Total amount of Environmental Compensation payable by the ULBs for violation on noncompliance of Solid Waste Management Rule 2016 is calculated to be Rs. 34.02 crore w.e.f. 1 July 2020 up to 31 March 2021,” states Garg.
The PPCB charged this penalty on 163 urban Local bodies for not properly complying with the Solid Waste Management. On 11 August 2021, PPCB received the first installment of penalty as Rs 17.01 Crore from the 163 ULBs. Out of this Ludhiana has paid Rs 1.8 crore for failing to deal with over 16 lakh metric tonnes of waste at the main dumpsite. Over 1,100 metric tonnes of waste is generated in the city and dumped at the main site every day.
It is directed by NGT to enforce a penalty to every local body to pay compensation at the rate of Rs 10 lakh per month per local body for population above 10 lakh, Rs 5 Lakh between 5 lakh to 10 lakh, and Rs 1.0 Lakh per month per other local body.