While Manipur Government many a time talks of a clean Imphal with projects and programmes of Imphal smart city including river rejuvenation projects, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Manipur Government to pay Rs 200 crore as environmental compensation for improper management of solid and liquid wastes.
Earlier while speaking at the inauguration of the fifth waste compactor machine of Imphal Municipal Corporation (IMC) office as a part of clean Imphal City campaign on July 6, 2022 the MAHUD Minister Yumnam Khemchand said the state government is planning to set up a solid waste management unit for each district in Manipur.
The deputy commissioner of Imphal East has beem asked to locate a place to set up the plant. Minister Khemchand said that around 14-15 loads of waste that a mini truck collected could be fitted at one waste compactor machine.
There are three waste compactor machines already at Keishamthong, Singjamei and Wangkhei and the issue concerning the collection of wastes could be solved with the help of these machines, he said.
However, the actions taken up by Manipur Government’s different departments of Urban Development, Rural Development, Environment and Forest, Agriculture, Water Resources, Fisheries and Industries are not satisfied by the National Green Tribunal.
Since the State Govenrment does not comply with the earlier order(s) satisfactorily, the National Green Tribunal has directed the Manipur Government to pay Rs 200 crore as environmental compensation for improper management of solid and liquid wastes.
A bench headed by Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said remedial action cannot wait for an indefinite period, nor loose-ended timelines without accountability can be a solution, reports say.
It said the responsibility of the state is to have a comprehensive time-bound plan with tied-up resources to control pollution.
The bench, also comprising Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel, said it is high time the state realised its duty to the law and to citizens and adopts further monitoring at its own level.
Compliance of environmental norms on the subject of waste management has to be on high on priority, the bench said.
The National Green Tribunal said the first change required is to set up a centralised single window mechanism for planning, capacity building and monitoring of waste management at the state level.
It should be headed by an officer of the rank of Additional Chief Secretary with representation from the departments of Urban Development, Rural Development, Environment and Forest, Agriculture, Water Resources, Fisheries and Industries, the tribunal said.
Fixing accountability of the state authorities for the gap in sewage generation and treatment along with the gap in solid waste management, the National Green Tribunal said: “We levy compensation of Rs 200 crores on the state on the polluter pays principle for its failure in scientifically managing the liquid and solid waste.”
The amount may be kept in a ring-fenced account to be operated as per directions of the Chief Secretary, the tribunal added.
The funds available for solid waste management can be utilised for setting up solid waste processing facilities, remediation of legacy waste and setting up of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSSTPs), the bench of the Nation Green Tribunal said.
Moreover, there are better alternatives to utilise the wet waste for composting at appropriate locations and the scale of expenditure for STPs may be reviewed in the light of realistic expenses involved in decentralised or traditional systems, the bench added.
The National Green Tribunal also directed six monthly progress reports with verifiable progress to be filed by the Chief Secretary before it.
Earlier on May 3, 2019, the National Green Tribunal issued an order regarding solid waste management and allied issues.
The order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Compliance of Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 said that there is need to develop an institutional training mechanism involving technical, social and environmental issues for training of officers concerned with enforcement of environment norms and directs CPCB to prepare such a programme.
The compliance report submitted by Manipur Government indicates some of the steps taken for solid waste management, which banning of plastic carry bags made of recycled plastic by Imphal Municipal Corporation and an action plan for rejuvenation and conservation of the Nambul River prepared by the River Rejuvenation Committee (RRC) and submitted to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
On the basis of the compliance report, after discussions with the Chief Secretary, the National Green Tribunal on May 3, 2019 directed:
First, Steps for compliance of Rule 22 and 24 of SWM Rules be now taken within six weeks to the extent not yet taken. Similar steps be taken with regard to Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules and Plastic Waste Management Rules.
Second, Atleast three major cities and three major towns in the State and at least three villages in every District may be notified on the website within two weeks from today (May 3, 2019) as model cities/towns/villages which will be made fully compliant within the next six months. Remaining cities, towns and villages of the State may be made fully compliant in respect of environmental norms within one year.
The order of the National Green Tribunal on May 3, 2019 said there is need to develop an institutional training mechanism involving technical, social and environmental issues for training of officers concerned with enforcement of environment norms and directs CPCB to prepare such a programme.
It may be mentioned that the National Green Tribunal in 2017 also had directed the forest department of Manipur Government to close down a children club functioning from inside a reserve forest in the state.
Following the order, the Central Forest Division of Manipur Forest Department had stopped functioning of a children club inside a reserved forest area in the state following directive from National Green Tribunal, Eastern Zone Bench in Kolkata.
Reports available said that Eastern Zone bench of the National Green Tribunal passed the order on October 31, 2017 following a writ petition filed by Indigenous Perspective, an Imphal based organisation in December 2016.
Accordingly the Divisional Forest Officer L Joykumar Singh of Central Forest Division of Manipur issued an order on November 2, 2017.
“It is hereby ordered that Maniwood Children Club at Cheiraoching, Thangmeiband Sinam Leikai inside the Langol Reserve Forest shall not be utilised and all operation shall remain withheld until further order,” the Forest Ddepartment order said.
The Range Forest Officer, Sadar West Range and the President of Joint Forest Management Committee shall strongly comply with the National Green Tribunal order, it added.
The National Green Tribunal order also asked “to stop all activities in the area in question until clearance is obtained under section of Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 from the Ministry of Environment and Forest.”
It may also be mentioned that in Manipur Legislative Assembly in the year 2017, the then Manipur Forest and Environment Minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar responding to a question, had informed the House that a total of 85 encroachers including 53 from Heingang Reserve Forest and 32 from Langol Reserve Forest had been evicted.
Now, with the National Green Tribunal’s imposition on Manipur Government to pay Rs 200 crore as environmental compensation for improper management of solid and liquid wastes, the concerned departments of State Government should coordinate and immediately start doing proper management of solid and liquid wastes beyond lip service.
Senior Editor: Imphal Review of Arts and Politics
