CPCB fails to file Mahendragarh pollution report, NGT issues notice

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday issued a notice to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for “not complying” with its order submit a report on the pollution load caused by stone crushing units in Mahendragarh

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday issued a notice to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for “not complying” with its order submit a report on the pollution load caused by stone crushing units in Mahendragarh.

The CPCB said it will submit its findings before the next hearing. (Hindustan Times)

The NGT’s principal bench, headed by chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Dr. A. Senthil Vel, made these observations while hearing a miscellaneous application in a disposed-of case from 2025. The case relates to environmental violations caused by 88 identified stone crusher units across the district, including those in the Aravalli ranges.

In its final order dated July 3, 2025, the NGT had directed the CPCB to cross-check the carrying capacity of the affected area, as ascertained by a joint committee headed by the district administration. CPCB was directed to file its report by consulting an expert body and disclose its findings by October 3, while the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) had to take coercive measures to recover the environment compensation (EC) fines within three months.

The tribunal questioned CPCB for “non-compliance” with its orders and sought a fresh report from the HSPCB disclosing the updated status of EC recoveries. The action-taken report mentioned EC recoveries of ₹3.61 crore out of ₹5.39 crore made from 67 of 88 units.

The counsel for HSPCB submitted that one more stone crusher unit had deposited the environment compensation and partial recovery has been made from another unit since the filing of the action-taken report. “The revenue department has been directed to attach properties of defaulters to complete pending recoveries,” the counsel told NGT.

In its order dated July 3, 2025, NGT also noted that several crusher units were set up illegally in Mahendregarh and Charkhi Dadri without obtaining consent-to-operate (CTO) permissions.

HSPCB’s August 5, 2024, compliance report estimated Mahendragarh’s supportive carrying capacity at 14,909.34kg of PM10, based on average PM10 levels recorded at two continuous monitoring stations between January and July.

A 2021 health impact assessment submitted during the NGT proceedings also cited the chief medical officer’s letter showing airborne disease cases nearly doubled from 21,329 in 2011 to 42,309 in 2019, though it did not identify the cause of the increase.

Meanwhile, NGT further ordered HSPCB to oversee the utilisation and implementation of the recovered EC amount for carrying out restoration and remedial measures to mitigate air pollution in Mahendragarh, in consultation with the district administration.

HSPCB will file its additional report within four weeks before the next hearing, which is scheduled for November 7. The CPCB said it will submit its findings before the next hearing.