Hindustan Times reported that India’s Supreme Court has stayed a January judgment by the National Green Tribunal, which fined 103 industries at Tarapur MIDC in Palghar district of Maharashtra to the tune of INR 260 crore as environmental compensation for discharge of untreated and partially treated effluents into nearby creeks and rivers, leading to the Arabian Sea. In an unusual move, the National Green Tribunal had also asked the Enforcement Directorate to investigate the polluting industries under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. However, in response to an appeal filed by JSW Steel, one of the allegedly polluting industries, the Supreme Court also stayed this direction.JSW Steel’s legal counsel Karanjawala & Co in a statement to the press said “The present case relates to the environmental degradation that has occurred in the Tarapur Industrial Areas in Maharashtra. JSW Steel Coated Products Ltd filed the appeal challenging the direction of the NGT directing the Enforcement Directorate to examine the matter for appropriate action, in the light of Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 and the doubling of the amount of compensation determined by a committee appointed by NGT.”JSW Steel’s counsels argued that the doubling of compensation as directed by the NGT is arbitrary and unwarranted. They also argued that the amendment in PMLA Act and alleged offences against JSW Steel Coated ceased in 2012, with the installation of Multi-Effect Evaporator system at the company’s unit in Tarapur. Thus, the provisions of PMLA cannot be made applicable to JSW Steel Coated Products Ltd.In its final judgment, National Green Tribunal had revised the total amount of environmental compensation payable by the identified polluting units to INR 262 crore, up from INR 160 recommended by a court-appointed expert committee in June 2020.
Hindustan Times reported that India’s Supreme Court has stayed a January judgment by the National Green Tribunal, which fined 103 industries at Tarapur MIDC in Palghar district of Maharashtra to the tune of INR 260 crore as environmental compensation for discharge of untreated and partially treated effluents into nearby creeks and rivers, leading to the Arabian Sea. In an unusual move, the National Green Tribunal had also asked the Enforcement Directorate to investigate the polluting industries under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. However, in response to an appeal filed by JSW Steel, one of the allegedly polluting industries, the Supreme Court also stayed this direction.JSW Steel’s legal counsel Karanjawala & Co in a statement to the press said “The present case relates to the environmental degradation that has occurred in the Tarapur Industrial Areas in Maharashtra. JSW Steel Coated Products Ltd filed the appeal challenging the direction of the NGT directing the Enforcement Directorate to examine the matter for appropriate action, in the light of Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 and the doubling of the amount of compensation determined by a committee appointed by NGT.”JSW Steel’s counsels argued that the doubling of compensation as directed by the NGT is arbitrary and unwarranted. They also argued that the amendment in PMLA Act and alleged offences against JSW Steel Coated ceased in 2012, with the installation of Multi-Effect Evaporator system at the company’s unit in Tarapur. Thus, the provisions of PMLA cannot be made applicable to JSW Steel Coated Products Ltd.In its final judgment, National Green Tribunal had revised the total amount of environmental compensation payable by the identified polluting units to INR 262 crore, up from INR 160 recommended by a court-appointed expert committee in June 2020.
