NGT Fines Thane Collector Rs 1 Lakh Over Debris Dumping in CRZ Sites

The National Green Tribunal's western zone bench in Pune has slapped a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the Thane collector for failing to file a reply regarding the widespread problem of debris dumped at several locations across Thane, including in coastal regulation zone (CRZ) sites.

The bench, comprising Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and environment expert Sujit Kumar Bajpayee, issued the directive in a recent order, calling the district collector “incorrigible” for the repeated failure to submit the required response.

Under the tribunal's order, the Thane district collector is required to deposit the Rs 1 lakh fine into the account of the NGT Bar Association (western zone). The bench has also directed the collector to appear in person before the tribunal soon to explain the matter.

The case stems from a petition filed by environmentalist D Stalin representing the NGO Vanashakti. Following the tribunal's ruling, Stalin termed the penalty a strong and welcome wake-up call for senior government officers, who he said had dealt casually with the critical issue of environmental degradation so far.

Detailing the extent of the violations, Stalin noted that massive amounts of unattended waste debris, comprising concrete and demolition waste, have been left at least 10 places across Thane, including protected CRZ sites. He stated that this waste could have been cleared much earlier by the administration, but Thane authorities failed to take necessary action, leaving the NGO with no alternative but to petition the NGT.

Stalin maintained that the collector's continuous inaction was primarily responsible for the massive ecological destruction occurring in these areas. He added that the degradation continued unabated even after the NGO had tracked and documented 15 such debris dumping sites throughout the district.