NGT rejects Ludhiana Municipal Corporation review plea over ₹100-crore interim compensation

NGT rejects Ludhiana Municipal Corporation review plea over ₹100-crore interim compensation

The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation, which has been unable to pay its staff's salaries since July, has found itself in a deeper financial hole.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) dismissed the review petition filed by Municipal Corporation (MC) of Ludhiana against directions to pay ₹100-crore as interim compensation for its failure to deal with legacy waste.

The Petition stated that the corporation had a plan chalked out to deal with the legacy waste and a proposal had been sent to the government to seek required approvals. However, the petition was dismissed by NGT.

The civic body is now looking at the state government to submit the funds on its behalf owing to its fund deprivation.

In its order, dated July 25, the tribunal had directed the civic body to pay the interim compensation while hearing a case pertaining to the death of a family of seven after their shanty, which was situated near the dumps, caught fire in April.

It observed that around 30 lakh metric tonnes of garbage had been dumped at the main dump site, where fire incidents were reported on a regular basis. As a result, MC was directed to deposit ₹100 crore with the deputy commissioner within a month. The amount will be kept in a separate account, and is earmarked for remedial measures to manage the solid waste.

It was further added that should the MC be unable to make the deposit, the state government could pay the sum on its behalf.

The MC is permitted to recover the compensation amount from those contributing to garbage accumulation, or from those who failed to perform their duties.

The bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel stated that, in view of the preponderance of probabilities that the death of seven persons is attributable to the fire of the dump site, the Municipal Corporation is held liable to pay compensation to their next of kin by way of deposit with the District Magistrate, Ludhiana within one month. The NGT directed the civic body to pay ₹57.5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased.

MC additional commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal said, "The MC is pursuing the matter with the state government as the civic body will not be able to make the deposit at this time. Talks are going on, and soon a final decision will be taken in this regard. The process to dispose of 5 lakh metric tonnes of garbage is expected to commence next month. Also, a proposal has been sent to the government for dealing with the remaining 25 lakh metric tonnes of garbage."