Polluting Chenab and Tawi waters

National Green Tribunal has slapped a fine of Rs. one crore on the Gammon India Limited and Hindustan Construction Company for damaging the environment by dumping soil in the two prestigious rivers, the Chenab and the Tawi which are functioning as life giving arteries for the people. It may be underlined that the entire dug out soil on account of the construction of a stretch of the Udhampur Banihal National Highway in Jammu and Kashmir had been reported to be dumped in these rivers. It should have been fully ensured before hand by those who approved of the blueprint of the plan as to where and how the soil was to be disposed of instead of criminally doing the same by ravaging the two rivers.
Accordingly,taking cognisance of the matter, a Bench headed by National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel ordered for a performance guarantee of Rs. 1 crore for improving the situation within next three months. The deposit of the amount is required to be made with the Central Pollution Control Board within one month. Taking objections to the way , the material from the project proponent was dumped in these rivers, the Monitoring Committee headed by a former judge of Jammu and Kashmir High Court suggested to State Government and Forest Department to show due concern over it and provide suitable and adequate number of new dumping sites to the project. The exact amount of damage caused was asked by the Tribunal to be assessed and the amount required for restoration. A petition, in this regard had been filed by a resident of Rambanwith the Tribunal against rampant dumping of soil in the twin rivers and had sought directions to restrain the process.

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