National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a whopping Rs 38 billion penalty on the Telangana government for its failure to manage or treat solid and liquid waste.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice AK Goel observed that a huge gap existed in the management of solid and liquid waste in Telangana. The bench said that providing clean air, water, sanitation, and the environment should be the topmost priority for good governance. The State cannot escape the constitutional responsibility of providing a pollution-free environment, it added.

The bench, also comprising Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert members A Senthil Vel and Afroz Ahmed, said the liability of the State for past violations had to be quantified on the “polluter pays” principle, to be utilised for the restoration of the environment.

Calculating the total environmental compensation to be paid by the government, in respect of the gap in the treatment of liquid waste/sewage of 1,824 MLD, compensation works out to Rs 3,648 crore. Un-remediated legacy waste is to the extent of 5.9 million MT. The total compensation under the head for the failure to scientifically manage solid waste works out to Rs 1.77 billion.