Pune: The National Green Tribunal bench in Pune has given an opportunity to Kolhapur Municipal Corporation and Ichalkaranji Municipal Council to make a self-assessment of the environmental damage cost (EDC) to be paid for the pollution caused by discharge of sewage into the Panchaganga river. At a hearing on Aug 14, the two civic bodies had challenged a Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) assessment which set EDC to be paid by KMC at Rs 38.4 crore and IMC’s at Rs 21.
6 crore, on the grounds that sewage discharge from other areas was also considered while reaching the quantum of EDC. “We certainly can look into the issue of EDC calculation and if respondent No.5-KMC says EDC is on a higher side as the other areas, from where pollution is being caused, have also been included while calculating the EDC and hence, the amount of EDC has increased.
For that, we grant an opportunity to KMC to make an assessment and submit the same before us,” said the bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member Vijay Kulkarni. The same applies to IMC too, the bench added. The tribunal further directed that municipal councils of Shirol, Kurundwad, Hupari and Hatkanangale be impleaded as respondents in the matter and has posted the next hearing on Nov 4.
Activist Vrinda Basu had filed a plea before the NGT’s principal bench in response to the TOI report, ‘Ichalkaranji stops lifting water from Panchganga’, published on March 3, 2022. The tribunal had taken note of contaminat.