Judgement of the National Green Tribunal regarding discharge of effluents by Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML) into the waterbodies of Chavara, Kollam District, Kerala, 31/08/2017
Judgement of the National Green Tribunal (Southern Zone, Chennai) in the matter of Joy Kaitharnath Vs Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd. dated 31/08/2017 regarding discharge of effluents by Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML) into the waterbodies of Chavara, Kollam District. The Applicant (Joy Kaitharnath, General Secretary, State Human Rights Protection Centre) has requested the Government of Kerala to constitute an Expert Team to assess the status and trend of radioactivity and its impact on health and environment in Chavara black sand area. The Applicant also relied on the information available in an Article “Untold story of mining” published in 2011 in the journal "Down to Earth” which stated that KMML has sold off 39553 tonnes of waste sand in 2009 and that was also confirmed from an information gathered under Right to Information Act.
NGT said that KMML has ignored environmental concern and thus invoked the principle of "polluter pays" and directs KMML to deposit a sum of Rs.1,00,00,000/- (Rupees One Crore only) under “polluter pays” in favour of “Chairman, Kerala State Pollution Control Board” who shall keep the said amount in a separate account named as “Environment relief fund for remediation of Chavara Region due to pollution caused by KMML”.