The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to frame guidelines to prevent pollutants from being discharged into water bodies.
The NGT also asked the CPCB to take action against guilty individuals or government authorities for failing to implement the order.
The green bench in its final order in the case related to lake pollution in Bengaluru, said “Since various authorities failed to check entry of pollutants to lakes and the CPCB must lay down specific guidelines to deal with the same, throughout India, including the scale of compensation to be recovered from different individuals/authorities, in addition to or as alternative to prosecution”.
“Deterrent effect for repeated wrongs may also be provided. The Ministry of Environment and Forests can specify a limit for phosphorus in soaps and detergents to prevent damage to the environment and public health,” the NGT order said.
The bench headed by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, in its final order related to pollution in Bellandur, Agara and Varthur lakes, also said that pan-India, the environmental degradation is severely affecting public health on a large scale.
Remedial measures are required, which include awareness creation as well as coercive measures in the interest of public health, the order
said.
The bench issued an order after it found that the Karnataka government and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) had failed in protecting the three lakes and also in preventing encroachments of Rajakaluves joining the
lake.