Air pollution in Rewari NGT refuses to modify order directing railways to furnish Rs 50 lakh

    New Delhi, Sep 11 (PTI) The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday refused to modify its order directing the railways to submit a performance guarantee of Rs 50 lakh for preventing air pollution at Khori station in Haryana's Rewari district.
    A bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore said there was no reason to recall or modify its August 14 order.
    It directed the Haryana pollution control board to inspect the site and submit a status report in respect of compliance to the earlier directions given by the tribunal.
    On August 14, the green panel had expressed displeasure over an affidavit filed by the railways saying it had "contradictory averments".
    "A bare perusal of the affidavit filed on behalf of the railways shows that though it has been filed by senior officer of the rank of senior divisional commercial manager but it is full of contradictory averments. For instance, it has been categorically submitted that the railway has erected 650 metres long wall whose heights have been raised to 15 metres from 12 metres," the bench had said.
    The tribunal had earlier constituted a joint team of the Central Pollution Control Board and the Haryana Pollution Control Board to look into a complaint by a local, Jail Lal, who alleged that air pollution was being caused in and around the railway station due to loading and unloading of clinker, gypsum, cement etcetera.
    According to the report by the joint team, PM 10 levels were found to be beyond the permissible limit and there was severe air pollution in the area.
    The inspection team had also submitted a slew of measures to tackle air pollution in the area. PTI PKS PKS NSD
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from a PTI feed.)