New Delhi: For environmental harm, including contamination of the Dravyavati river, allegedly caused by textile printing firms in the Jaipur district, the National Green Tribunal has ordered Rajasthan to pay an interim compensation of Rs 100 crore. In addition to ordering that the compensation money be put towards environmental cleanup, the NGT established a 10-person committee to oversee corrective measures.
The NGT was considering two petitions alleging that industrial pollution of the river violated environmental regulations.
An administrative panel's report painted a "dismal picture" of the area, according to the bench presided over by Justice A K Goel. The Dravyavati River, the Chandalai Dam, and the Nevta Dam have all been contaminated by industrial effluents because of poor industrial siting. Industrial activity have damaged feeder canals, the river, and dams, according to the bench, which also included judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert members A Senthil Vel and Afroz Ahmad. The study did not address the quality of the groundwater in the Dravyavati river.—Inputs from Agencies