Above: A Effluent treatment plant

Expressing its displeasure over the non-submission of reports by various states on the functional effluent treatment plants, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday said that it would slap a cost of Rs l lakh on states if they fail to submit report within one week.

During today’s hearing, the bench headed by Justice Jawad Rahim was informed that only Gujarat, Andaman and Nicobar, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh have submitted the report. And Gujarat have submitted the recent report not the previous report.

The bench was acting on the plea which urges to ensure, that no industry which requires consent to operate from the concerned Pollution Control Board, is permitted to function, unless it has a functional effluent treatment plant, which is capable to meet the prescribed norms for removing the pollutants from the effluent, before it is discharged.

The matter was listed for further hearing to March 24, 2018.

—India Legal Bureau