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Realty firm, PMC await compensation notice from pollution control panel
The realty firm and PMC are accused of causing damage to the Mula river water as untreated water was flown into the river due to a broken sewage line
The realty firm Gokhale Landmark and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) are yet to receive a notice from a joint committee of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) on an environmental compensation to imposed.
The committee was formed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The ruling was passed on October 8.
Advocate Manasi Joshi who represents the MPCB said, “The meet has been constituted and they are in process of assessing it.”
The realty firm and PMC are accused of causing damage to the Mula river water as untreated water was flown into the river due to a broken sewage line.
The PMC was also accused of inaction despite local residents bringing it to their notice.
Advocate Pralhad Paranjape who represents Gokhale Landmarks said, “NGT has not said that either 100 per cent Gokhale Construction is responsible, or 100 per cent Pune Municipal Corporation is responsible. What NGT has said is that, a committee of CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) and MPCB (Maharashtra Pollution Control Board) will meet and that committee will figure out what needs to be done. In that sense the committee will assess what is the damage caused and the committee is going to assess and figure out, in what proportion are we liable. The committee is yet to act further .”
As per information provided by architect Sarang Yadvadkar who raised this issue before the NGT alongwith other four applicants, close to 20.24 million litres per day (MLD), ie, 2,024 tankers of untreated raw sewage were released into the water body.
“Basically, the pollutant released in to the water body is raw sewage in this case. So daily quantity released and for how many days was it released - that is the formula. And compensation will be in the financial category. They have to pay environmental compensation toward the damages,” said Yadvadkar.
The firm is building a commercial complex near City Pride, Kothrud.
The judgement was given by the NGT special bench on October 8, led by chairman Justice AK Goel.
