Delhi, 21 July 2013: The principal bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued bailable warrants against the heads of Vapi Industries Association (VIA) and Vapi Waste & Effluent Management Company (VWEMCL) for not appearing or filing replies despite several reminders in a matter pending before them. The orders were issued on 18th July, 2013, in a case where about 10 farmers from Vapi have filed for remediation and compensation for contamination due to toxic waste spillage in their lands by the above mentioned units. “The non appearance of the respondents show how indifferent these parties are to serious environmental problems. We welcome NGT’s decision to issue warrants on the respondents for not appearing till date. This clearly sends out a message to all parties that the court is serious about the matter and as respondents it is their responsibility to appear before the Court”, said Ramubhai Kariyabhai Patel, one of the petitioners in the matter.
According to the NGT it is important to have the responses of VIA and VWEMCL, their order stated that “as they are the sponsors of the Project, their presence before the Tribunal is necessary to adjudicate the matter in issue”. The bailable warrant against the agencies were issued in exercise of their powers and in terms of “the provision of Section 19 (4) (a) of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 read with Order XVI Rule 10(3) and Section 151 of Code of Civil Procedure, 1908”. Bailable warrants made returnable on 23rd August, 2013. The other respondents in the matter were given two weeks time to file their responses. A copy of the order can be downloaded from the NGT’s website or the following link: http://greentribunal.in/orderinpdf/87-2013(OA)_18Jul2013.pdf
In April this year, about 10 farmers from Vapi filed a case in the NGT for compensation for the loss of agriculture and remediation of the contaminated site and water bodies due to toxic waste spillage from the Vapi hazardous waste landfill on 17 July 2012.
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Manisha Goswami
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