The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken suo motu cognizance of a news article highlighting the grim reality of pollution in Mahendragarh, Haryana, where unchecked stone-crushing operations have created severe health, environmental, and social challenges.
The news article reveals that villages like Khatoli Ahir are engulfed in dust, leading to respiratory issues, tuberculosis, skin conditions, and kidney ailments, especially among children.
The article also reports a sharp rise in airborne diseases, with cases doubling over the past decade due to persistent exposure to stone dust.
Families living in government-allocated plots are especially vulnerable, with dust permeating every aspect of their lives.
The environmental impact extends beyond human health, with the Aravalli Mountain Range suffering deforestation and ecological damage.
The dust settles on crops, stunting growth and reducing agricultural yields.
Additionally, the flora and fauna in the area are cloaked in dust, further disrupting the ecosystem.
Socioeconomic hardships compound the crisis, disproportionately affecting marginalized families living near the stone crushers.
Despite multiple directives from the Supreme Court and the NGT to shut down illegal stone-crushing units, enforcement has been inconsistent.
The NGT has observed that the citizens’ right to breathe fresh air is being violated, and has fixed compensation against each stone crusher operating in the area on the “polluter pays” principle.
However, the orders are yet to be implemented fully.
The Principal Bench comprising Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Chairperson, and Dr. A. Senthil Vel, Expert Member has impleaded the Haryana State Pollution Control Board, the Central Pollution Control Board, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the District Magistrate of Mahendragarh as respondents in the matter.
The tribunal has directed the respondents to file their responses by way of affidavit before the tribunal at least one week before the next date of hearing.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on April 21, 2025.