Recently, the Supreme Court upheld the National Green Tribunal’s order imposing a penalty of over Rs. 1,000 crore on the State of Punjab for inadequate waste management practices. The stay was granted by a bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, alongside Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, while issuing notice on Punjab’s appeal. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on October 21.
The NGT had initially imposed a Rs. 2,080 crore fine on Punjab in September 2022 for failing to manage solid and liquid waste, following the Supreme Court’s directives in the cases of Almitra H. Patel vs. Union of India. The Tribunal had directed Punjab to deposit the amount in a ring-fenced account for restoration measures. However, after noting the State’s failure to create the amount or deposit the funds, the NGT imposed an additional penalty of Rs. 1,026 crore in July 2023.
Punjab challenged this additional penalty before the Supreme Court, which has now stayed the order, pending further examination.
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