The Supreme Court of India has temporarily suspended a Rs 746 crore penalty imposed on Rajasthan by the National Green Tribunal for waste management non-compliance. Rajasthan’s efforts, including significant financial investments since 2018, were considered during the court’s decision, which cautioned that such penalties could undermine state environmental initiatives despite existing deficiencies in waste processing.
New Delhi: In a significant development, the Supreme Court of India has stayed the hefty penalty of Rs 746 crore imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on the Rajasthan government for alleged non-compliance with waste management regulations.
The decision came from a division bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and KV Vishwanathan, following arguments presented by Rajasthan’s Additional Advocate General Shiv Mangal Sharma.
The NGT, in its September 17 order last year, directed the Rajasthan government to pay Rs 113.10 crore within a month and issued show cause notices for prosecution against the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary/Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Development.
Mr. Sharma argued that the penalty was arbitrary and failed to consider the state’s substantial efforts in improving waste management. He highlighted that Rajasthan has made significant investments since 2018, including Rs 4,712.98 crore in liquid waste management and Rs 2,872.07 crore in solid waste management.
The Supreme Court acknowledged Rajasthan’s ongoing efforts, stating that such a massive financial penalty and the threat of criminal prosecution could hinder environmental protection initiatives.
The bench remarked,
“The imposition of a huge penalty may derail the state’s environmental efforts.”
The penalty was imposed after the NGT identified major deficiencies in Rajasthan’s compliance with the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. The tribunal found that the state generates approximately 6,523 tons of solid waste daily, but only 63.19% of this waste is processed effectively.
The NGT criticized Rajasthan’s negligence in addressing untreated waste, warning of severe risks to public health and ecological balance.
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