WAJAHAT SHABIR
SRINAGAR: The Municipal Council of Poonch has formally communicated its inability to pay the environmental compensation of ₹162.9 lakh imposed by the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (J&K PCC).
In a letter dated October 10, 2024, the Chief Executive Officer of the Municipal Council stated that the Council lacks the necessary funds in its own resources to cover the penalty. This financial shortfall has led the Council to request financial assistance from the Directorate of Urban Local Bodies, Jammu, for the required funds. Moreover, the Municipal Council has requested the J&K PCC to consider waiving the environmental compensation.
This situation arises in the context of the ongoing National Green Tribunal (NGT) case, OA No. 253 of 2023 (Raja Muzaffar Bhat v/s Union Territory of J&K & Ors.), in which the NGT issued orders on environmental compensation related to solid waste management violations.
The Tribunal had directed the Municipal Council Poonch to comply with environmental norms and take corrective action, including payment of the imposed compensation. In response to these directives, the Municipal Council has appealed to the J&K PCC, requesting a waiver of the ₹162.9 lakh penalty, which remains under consideration. The matter is being closely monitored as per NGT’s ongoing order.
Additionally, while awaiting a resolution on the financial and legal fronts, the Municipal Council has made substantial progress in improving its waste management infrastructure. In particular, the Council is addressing the legacy waste at the town’s dumpsite through bio-mining efforts led by the agency M/s WeVOIS Labs Private Limited, which was selected by the Directorate of Urban Local Bodies. The remediation work is in progress, and the Council is committed to enhancing its waste management practices.
The Municipal Council is also working on the establishment of a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) and a compost pad to further improve the town’s solid waste processing systems. Land for these facilities has already been transferred to the Directorate of Urban Local Bodies, and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) is currently in preparation.
Despite these efforts, the Municipal Council continues to face financial constraints. As such, it has requested additional time from the NGT to arrange the necessary funds to pay the environmental compensation. The Municipal Council remains hopeful that the NGT will intervene and provide relief by waiving off the penalty or granting more time, given the ongoing efforts to remedy the waste management issues.
The Municipal Council’s appeal to both the Directorate of Urban Local Bodies for financial support and the J&K PCC for a waiver of the penalty highlights the challenges faced by local bodies in managing environmental obligations amid limited resources.
