The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order imposing a Rs 12,000 crore penalty on the Maharashtra government over inadequate solid and liquid waste management.
Maharashtra had appealed the September 2022 ruling by NGT’s principal bench headed by Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel. The hefty environmental compensation amount was meant to fund restoration measures for years of pollution.
The green court had determined Maharashtra owed Rs 10,840 crore for its highly polluting liquid waste gap plus Rs 1,200 crore for unremediated legacy landfills – totaling around Rs 12,000 crore.
It directed the state to deposit the sum in a separate ring-fenced account operated by the Chief Secretary. The funds would be utilized only for much-needed sewage and sludge treatment systems, upgradation of drainage networks, and rehabilitation of festering dumpsites under court monitoring.
However, Maharashtra contested the unilateral penalty, moving to the Supreme Court for relief. On Tuesday, apex court judges stayed NGT’s order, shielding the state from making the mammoth payment for now.
The case highlights India’s abysmal track record in managing its burgeoning solid and water waste. Various deadlines over the years have been routinely flouted by Maharashtra and other states while pollution spirals.
Saddling cash-strapped governments with steep fines may be justified given the healthcare costs of filth. But Southeast Asia’s richest state claims the sums quoted lack scientific basis, beyond fiscal means.
While the matter proceeds in court, Maharashtra must utilize this reprieve to rapidly develop scientific waste management capacities. Only fundamental improvements on the ground can strengthen its legal defense against charges of ecological damage. Otherwise, the spiraling waste mountains may eventually bury the state’s coffers under visible neglect.
