DDA moves High Court against Rs 1-crore green penalty

A fine of Rs 1 crore as environmental damage compensation was levied on DDA by the CPCB earlier this year.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said no coercive action would be taken till the next date of hearing against the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) after the land-owning agency challenged the Rs 1 crore environmental damage compensation levied on it by pollution watchdog.

DDA moves High Court against Rs 1-crore green penalty (HT File)

Justice Vibhu Bakhru also sought CPCB’s response on a plea filed by DDA, which contended the fine is “illegal”, “arbitrary” and “unsustainable”.

A fine of Rs 1 crore as environmental damage compensation was levied on DDA by the CPCB earlier this year. The pollution body had said the agency was responsible for open burning, dumping of plastic, construction and demolition waste and lack of regular sweeping on the roads in Narela, Patparganj, Okhla Industrial Area. CPCB had also said DDA is non-compliant with the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

Challenging this in the high court, DDA, said CPCB does not have the power to levy any penalty or any environmental damage compensation under relevant statues. It said the fine had been imposed in an “unreasonable manner” as detailed replies to the communications sent by CPCB had been “disregarded”.