The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) dismissed a complaint against a paper manufacturing company after finding no evidence of environmental violations.
The complaint, which was filed anonymously through a letter, alleged that the company in Tirunelveli was burning plastic waste in its boilers and operating a de-inking plant without proper environmental clearance.
The Principal Bench transferred the complaint to its Southern Bench, which directed a Joint Committee, comprising officials from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), the Central Pollution Control Board, and the Collector of Tirunelveli, to inspect the company’s operations.
The committee found that no plastic waste was being used as fuel in the boilers, and the company was not involved in the de-inking process, which was not necessary for its production of Kraft paper and packaging boards. The company had agreements in place with cement factories to properly dispose of any segregated plastic waste.
The Bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathynarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati, also said the company had already taken corrective actions, including removing waste from open land and ensuring proper storage facilities for its effluent treatment plant and sludge and plastic waste.
However, the Bench raised concern over the anonymous nature of the complaint, which appeared to be motivated by personal reasons. It imposed a ₹10,000 fine on the complainant for submitting a baseless case and directed the TNPCB to continue monitoring the company’s operations to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
Published – November 07, 2024 07:43 pm IST