Pune: Maan Gram Panchayat Fined Rs. 34 Lakh by NGT for Illegal Garbage Dumping
Pune, 14th March 2023: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered Maan gram panchayat to pay a fine of Rs 34 lakh for illegal dumping of garbage and causing environmental damage in survey number 262, owned by the Forest Department.
The NGT bench, headed by Dinesh Kumar Singh(JM) and Dr Vijay Kulkarni (EM), has also ordered the gram panchayat to remove the legacy waste within one year, failing which they will have to pay a fine of Rs one lakh per month. The fines collected by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) will be used for environmental restoration.
The illegal dumping was brought to light by The Cliff Garden Condominium, located near IT Park Phase-3, Hinjewadi, which approached the NGT regarding this issue. The Pune District Collector has been directed to allot land to the gram panchayat for processing municipal waste. Adv Saurabh Kulkarni represented the case against the gram panchayat, according to Gokul Ojha, Chairman of the society.
Although the gram panchayat had stopped dumping garbage on earlier directions from the NGT, they were ordered to initiate a time-bound program for the removal of the waste already dumped by them.
Additionally, the NGT has directed them to stop the burning of solid waste at the dumping site. This order from the NGT aims to hold the gram panchayat accountable for their illegal actions and encourage them to take measures to protect the environment.
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