The process of recovering environment compensation from local bodies in Ernakulam that failed to set up scientific systems for waste management seems getting delayed.
Nearly two months after issuing notices to the Kochi Corporation and Aluva and Thripunithura municipalities, the State Pollution Control Board (PCB) has not been able to recover the compensation assessed based on the ‘polluter pays’ principle.
The Kochi Corporation, which was slapped with a penalty of ₹14.2 crore, had obtained a stay from the Kerala High Court against recovery of compensation. Board officials said they had initiated steps to get it cleared.
The compensation assessed for Aluva and Thripunithura municipalities was ₹2.12 crore and ₹3.78 crore respectively. The PCB Chairman had issued notices to the secretaries of the two municipalities on February 8 and 17 respectively. Representatives of the civic bodies were asked to submit explanation within 15 days on why compensation should not be recovered. However, the reply from them was not satisfactory, as no concrete measures were taken to rectify shortcomings, according to the board.
The Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had observed in January this year that the environment compensation for failure to comply with its directives against those responsible for the Brahmapuram fiasco had been assessed but not recovered.
The tribunal said the “failure to uphold environmental rule of law is no different from maintaining law and order and protecting citizens against crimes. Continuing violation of environmental norms is not only violation of rights of citizens but also has the potential for causing damage to public health. It is unfortunate that in spite of several orders of this tribunal for the last two years, officers have only paid lip service. There is thus clear governance deficit which needs to be urgently remedied at [the] appropriate highest level in the State,” it said.
