A paper mill in Uttar Pradesh will have to pay a fine of Rs 30 lakh for discharging untreated effluent in the open and operating without permission, the National Green Tribunal has ordered.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar slapped the fine on Rampur-based Chadha Papers Limited after an inspection team found that the discharge from the unit was beyond the permissible standards.
The order came after the NGT noted that the unit was also operating without the consent of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), and the Central Pollution Control Board had served a notice on it to show cause why it should not be closed down under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The environment compensation (EC) or the fine has to be deposited to the state pollution control board within two weeks and 25 per cent of it had to be immediately sent to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The green panel also directed an inspection by a joint team of CPCB and UPPCB who would analyse the effluent within one week.
"The joint inspection team shall prepare a comprehensive report and on the basis of it, the application for consent to operate shall be considered by the UPPCB and appropriate order will be passed as expeditiously as possible, in any case not more than two weeks from the date of inspection," it said.
The tribunal said if the joint inspection team found it to be compliant and non-polluting, then it would be permitted to operate till June 13, the next date of hearing.
In the event the report went against the unit, it should be "ordered to be shut down forthwith," it said.
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