The National Green Tribunal has slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on the Uttar Pradesh government for the inordinate delay in filing a report on the status of distilleries and sugar mills manufacturing,

The five units which have been issued notices are --Hapur-based Brijnathpur Distillery, Lakhimpur Kheri-based Swampurnanand Distillery, Nanoata Distillery in Saharanpur, Anupshahr Distillery in Bul

It has also referred to UP government's affidavit and contended that only two of the 35 distilleries had requisite license while the others were manufacturing ethanol illegally.

Order passed in response to PIL citing media reports that 33 of 35 distilleries making ethanol in UP lacked licence for storage of hazardous chemicals

Tests conducted on firecrackers by NGO Awaaz Foundation and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) have revealed that several companies are flouting Supreme Court directives on noise levels as

NGO Awaaz Foundation on Tuesday wrote letters to senior officers in the police department to monitor whether the firecrackers in the market are adhering to rules.

New Delhi, 6 JULY: The Supreme Court today directed the Centre to ban imports of all substances identified and declared to be hazardous or toxic wastes under the Basel Convention and its protocols.

The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre to ban the import of toxic wastes in any form as identified and declared hazardous under the Basel Convention and its different protocols.

A bench of justices Altamas Kabir and J. Chelameshwar issued the direction on a PIL filed by the Research Foundation for Science Technology and Natural Resource Policy raising the issue of banning vessels containing toxic wastes from entering Indian shores for dismantling at the ship-breaking industry at Alang off the Gujarat coast.

K V SINGH & SHEPHALI MEHRA BIRDI
Mr Singh is partner and Ms Birdi is senior associate with Kochhar & Co