New Delhi April 16 (KNS): As Municipal Council Poonch continues to violate the MSW-Rules 2016 by dumping municipal solid waste on the banks of Poonch river near Sher e Kashmir bridge, the Deputy Commissioner Poonch on the orders of National Green Tribunal-NGT has initiated the process to recover more than Rs 1.62 crore as Environmental Compensation -EC from local municipality.
The Deputy Commissioner Poonch has initiated this action in the case filed by Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat a noted RTI & Environmental Activist before National Green Tribunal-NGT few years back. The DC Poonch who is also the designated District Magistrate informed the Tribunal on an affidavit that he has directed Tehsildar Haveli Poonch to issue a Writ of Demand under Section 62 of the J&K Land Revenue Act 1996 Svt. The affidavit was submitted before NGT on Wednesday April 16th 2025 by DC Poonch.
The DC informed the tribunal that he had directed Tehsildar Haveli Poonch to recover the environmental compensation. After DC’s direction the Tehsildar Poonch who is also the designated Assistant Collector Class-2 on April 8th 2025 has issued the writ of demand and has directed the CEO of Municipal Council Poonch to deposit an amount of Rs 162.9 lacs as arrears of land revenue within 15 days. The CEO further has been warned that in case of failure to deposit the Environmental Compensation arrest warrant would be issued against him.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Pertinently the Deputy Commissioner / District Magistrate Poonch was also made to deposit an amount of Rs 10,000 as cost for delaying in submitting a response before the National Green Tribunal-NGT. The Principal Bench of NGT comprising Justice Prakash Shrivastava (Chairperson), Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi (Judicial Member) and Dr A Senthil Vel (Expert Member) had issued this order on September 9th 2024. In the fresh affidavit DC Poonch attached the copy of the Rs 10,000 demand draft addressed to Registrar General NGT.
In the order dated May 24, 2024 the NGT had observed that the Deputy Commissioner Poonch had not made it clear as to why the action was not taken for the realization of Environmental Compensation imposed by J&K Pollution Control Committee. In that background, a fresh report was sought from the Deputy Commissioner Poonch.
“No fresh report has been filed by the District Magistrate Poonch till now. Hence, we impose a cost of Rs 10,000 upon Deputy Commissioner/District Magistrate Poonch for not complying with the order and for not filing the report”, reads order of the NGT dated Sept 9th 2024. In response to this order the DC Poonch has finally acted and directed the Tehsildar to recover the compensation. The case is now listed for hearing on April 17th 2025 .(KNS)