E-Paper
On NGT orders, PPCB fines Jalandhar resident ₹6 lakh for illegal soil mining
Punjab Pollution Control Board penalises resident for excavation in Momanpur village, coercive action will follow if the penalty is not paid within 15 days
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Acting on the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) directive, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) on Monday imposed an environmental compensation penalty of ₹6,01,692 on Kamaljit Singh, a resident of Boparai Khurd in Jalandhar, for illegal soil excavation at Momanpur village.
According to the affidavit submitted to the NGT principal bench in New Delhi by PPCB regional environmental engineer Deepak Chadha, this action complies with a February 6, 2026, tribunal order regarding the Lertchai Srikukreja, alias Lakhvinder Singh, vs State of Punjab and Others case.
The case stems from the unauthorised excavation of brick earth, which prompted the NGT to order the PPCB to penalise those responsible for the resulting environmental degradation. The board held a personal hearing on February 9, 2026, where Kamaljit Singh appeared before the PPCB chairperson.
After reviewing the case records, the PPCB finalised the penalty. The environmental compensation verification committee subsequently verified it, and the authorities approved it.
Recovery orders were officially issued on May 13, 2026, giving Kamaljit Singh a 15-day deadline to deposit the funds, failing this, the PPCB will initiate coercive legal measures.
The affidavit clarified a shift in the investigation’s focus. While the mining department had initially registered an FIR against another individual, Narinder Pal Singh, a subsequent investigation by the Jalandhar Rural police cleared him of all charges and instead identified Kamaljit Singh as the liable party.
The PPCB calculated the ₹6.01 lakh penalty using a standard methodology prescribed by the NGT and the Central Pollution Control Board, factoring the market value of the excavated soil, the total volume extracted, ecological loss, and the net present value of the environmental damage.
