Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Saloni Singh & Others Vs Union of India & Others dated 12/12/2019 regarding compliance of Plastic and Solid Waste Management Rules, preventing discharge of effluents, management of water at Railway stations, compartments and tracks and removal of encroachments causing environment degradation.

The NGT directed that observations of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) be taken into account in the process of implementation of action plans of the railways for all the major stations.

Order of the Supreme Court of India in the matter of M. C. Mehta Vs Union of India & Others dated 04/12/2019 regarding environment protection of Taj Mahal. Among the various directions passed by the apex court are the following:

a. The Agra Municipal Corporation has been directed to submit the report (Environment Impact Assessment) of the waste to energy plant submitted by M/s Spaak Bresson Pvt. Ltd. to the NEERI.

Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Anubhav Kumar Vs Union of India & Others dated 14/08/2019 regarding air pollution affecting the environment in and around the areas Rani Bagh, Shakurbasti, Raja Park, Punjabi Bagh, Srinagar, Madipur near Shakurbasti Railway Station in Delhi on account of unscientific manner in which loading/unloading of cement is being undertaken.

Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Jail Lal Vs State of Haryana dated 14/08/2019 regarding work of loading and unloading of highly inflammable material such as clinker, gypsum, cement at Railway Station, Khori, District Rewari, Haryana. This has affected the ecology of the area around the railway station and air pollution. An inspection report was filed by the Central Pollution Control Board on February 5, 2019 which suggested measures to control the pollution and which the Tribunal had asked the Railways to implement.

Railways’ data shows the number of animals coming under trains are increasing.

Over the past decade, China has built 25,000 km of dedicated high-speed railway—more than the rest of the world combined. China’s High-Speed Rail Development examines the Chinese experience to draw lessons for countries considering investing in high-speed rail.

‘Loading, unloading from goods trains affects air quality’

Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Shivansh Pandey Vs State of Uttar Pradesh dated 27/05/2019 regarding pollution in and around railway godown, Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh in the course of loading and unloading of cement, fertilizers and grains by trucks, polluting the air quality and causing respiratory problems.

The ground-plus-one storey slums next to Mahalaxmi carshed, where trains are cleaned and washed, have become a mini dumping ground.

Pages