Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding waste management of Howrah Railway Station, 10/08/2017
Order of the National Green Tribunal (Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata) in the matter of Subhas Datta Vs Ministry of Railways & Others dated 10/08/2017 regarding waste management of the Howrah Railway Station. WBPCB had submitted its report of inspection of the Howrah Railway Station. The report contained several inadequacies in the management of the railway station and recommendations were made by the Board for the railway to take steps for setting those right. As would appear from the report there were as many as eight recommendations made by the Board, most serious of which were, lack of ETPs in various sections of the Howrah Railway station, inadequate measures for waste disposal, want of consent to establish as well as consent to operate with regard to the railway yard, Restaurants, eateries, etc.
Court points out that want of consents under the provisions of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, would call for closure of the facilities in the railway station but keeping in mind the inconvenience that such a closure would cause to the general public the Court won't resort to it. NGT directs the State PCB to to take stringent measures to ensure that the railways obtain statutory consents after they satisfy all the requirement for the purpose. Setting up of ETPs is mandatory and cannot be avoided. The railways shall take immediate steps to do so. National Green Tribunal (Eastern Bench) directs the railway authorities to set up ETPs within a period of six months from hence and not a day later.