Mumbai: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed its registry to implead M/s N.N. Enterprises as a respondent in a case, which was filed by the Borivali residents, alleging severe noise and air pollution caused by a Ready-Mix Concrete (RMC) plant operated by the company. The Tribunal has thus asked the company to file its reply within four weeks, thereby adjourning the matter to January 31, 2025.
The complaint, filed by the Corner Co-operative Housing Society Ltd, Borivali, had shown the concerns over health problems caused by dust and noise pollution which had emitted from the RMC plant, which allegedly was operating round the clock. The NGT, after reviewing the complaint in November 2023, thereby had sought a report from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) on the issue.
MPCB in its affidavit filed before the NGT had confirmed that M/s N.N. Enterprises had been manufacturing ready-mix concrete with permissions granted through a Consent to Establish (CTE) in September 2020 and a Consent to Operate (CTO) in June 2021. However, the CTO expired in May 2024, and the company has yet not sought for its renewal.
MPCB’s reply further mentions number of other violations allegedly committed by the company, which includes a closure order issued to the company on December 1, 2023, for violations in abiding by the environmental rules.
Following the same the company was asked to deposit Rs 50,000 with the bank as a bank guarantee, but it was forfeited by the bank as the norms were allegedly not followed by the company.
Hence further a new bank guarantee of Rs 1 lakh was sought by the MPCB towards the compliance.Meanwhile a stop work order from the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) in March 2024, effectively halting plant operations.
After reviewing the Report, the NGT has directed the MPCB’s to specify the duration of the company’s non-compliance, which was not mentioned by the MPCB in its affidavit.
Hence the Tribunal has directed the MPCB to calculate the Environmental Damage Compensation (EDC) based on the period of past violations, thus ordered to submit the EDC amount and a detailed calculation of the violations before the next hearing.
