Taking strict note of repeated absence of authorities from Punjab in the case regarding groundwater pollution in the state, the National Green Tribunal has issued bailable warrants in the sum of Rs 10000 against Member Secretary, Punjab Pollution Control Board, Member Secretary Haryana Pollution Control Board, Secretary Department of Environment, Govt. of Punjab, Chief Executive Officer of Cantonment Board, Jalandhar and Managing Director of Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Chandigarh.
Reacting sharply to continuous failure of the government officials in presenting themselves before the tribunal, principal bench of the NGT said that the matter has already been listed thrice. “These matters have been called out three times. Nobody is present on behalf of any of the respondents including the state of Punjab. As presence of these respondents is essential before the Tribunal to deal with the matters in issue and records would be necessary to be produced. Consequently, we issue bailable warrants,” chairperson of NGT, Justice Swatanter Kumar said.
The warrants are returnable on July 5, 2016.
In its previous order, the green panel had ordered ground water samples to be collected from Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Bhatinda, Mohali and Gurdaspur by the Punjab Pollution Control Board in the presence of the team which will consist of a representative of MoEF, CPCB and Director of Industry, Punjab. The NGT had observed, “There are serious issues in relation to ground water contamination in most of the districts in Punjab. Ground water is the main source of water supply in the state either for agricultural or even for domestic consumption. If contaminated water is used as a source of irrigation for the crop, Punjab being basically an agricultural state, it would enter into the food chain causing again serious environmental and human health hazards.”