Pune: NGT Orders Wadgaon Budruk RMC Plant to Pay Rs 29.68 Lakh for Environmental Damage
Pune, 26th November 2025: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) bench in Pune has ordered a ready-mix cement (RMC) plant in Wadgaon Budruk to pay Rs 29.68 lakh as environmental damage compensation (EDC) to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) within a month. The bench directed that the funds be used for environmental restoration in the affected area. The order, passed on November 11, was made public on Tuesday.
The plant had been operating in violation of pollution norms despite a closure directive issued by MPCB on June 24, 2024. Residents, led by Suyog Kelkar, approached the tribunal, highlighting that the plant posed health risks to the community.
“The RMC plant continued operations even after repeated notices, affecting air quality and local living conditions,” said Kelkar, a resident of a nearby society who suffers from asthma. “There is a school and a temple close to the plant, making its operations particularly concerning.”
The NGT bench, comprising Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi, had asked MPCB to assess the environmental impact and submit a report. MPCB calculated the EDC at Rs 29.68 lakh, which the plant agreed to pay. The facility has now been closed.
Kelkar explained that he had purchased his flat in a well-ventilated society due to his health condition. Despite complaints from him and other residents, MPCB granted consent to establish and operate the plant in December 2021, even though it violated siting norms requiring a distance of 80 meters from the highway and 160 meters from the school.
In 2025, through a Right to Information (RTI) request, Kelkar discovered that the plant had been running without valid consent and that a closure notice had already been issued in June 2024. He subsequently approached the NGT after being informed by MPCB officials that the board lacked enforcement powers to shut down the plant.
During tribunal proceedings, MPCB submitted that a field inspection on June 17, 2025, confirmed the plant was operating on a 320 KVA diesel generator set. The electricity supply to the unit had been disconnected by MSEDCL, Pune, on July 9, 2024.
