Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Compliance of Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and other environmental issues (In respect of State of Maharashtra) dated 08/09/2022.

The NGT directed the state of Maharashtra to pay compensation of Rs. 12,000 crores for its failure to effectively address the issue of liquid waste/sewage and legacy waste. The amount of Rs. 12,000 crores has to be deposited within two months and is to be used for restoration measures.

The restoration measures with respect to sewage management would include setting up of sewage treatment and utilization systems, upgrading systems/operations to ensure utilization of their full capacities, ensuring compliance of standards, including those of fecal coliform and setting up of proper fecal sewage and sludge management in rural areas.

With regard to solid waste management, the action plan would include setting up of required waste processing plants and remediation of left out 84 sites.

Bioremediation/bio-mining processes need to be executed as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines and the stabilized organic waste from biomining as well as from compost plants need to comply with laid down specifications. Other material recovered during such processes are to be put to use through authorized dealers/handlers/users. This restoration plan needs to be planned and executed in a time bound manner without further delay, the bench of Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Sudhir Agarwal stressed.