NGT slaps Rs 25 cr penalty on Vedanta’s Hindustan Zinc for violation of environmental norms in Rajasthan

NEW DELHI, (PTI): The National Green Tribunal has slapped a penalty of Rs 25 crore on Vedanta group firm Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL) for violating environmental norms in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district.

The NGT said environmental law violations cannot be taken lightly when the violators are entities like the present project proponent (PP) and victims are poor villagers.

It said the victims of damage are unspecified number of persons spread over in more than six panchayats — Bherukhera, Agucha, Parasrampura, Kalyanpura, Kothiya, Balapura and others — in Hurda block.

“A case is made out for requiring the PP to provide for compensation for the past violations and bear the cost of remediation, apart from complying with recommendations of the Committee.

“Having regard to the violations/damage by the project proponent and overall estimated cost of ecological rehabilitation and restoration and financial capacity of the PP, we require the PP to deposit a sum of Rs 25 crore with the District Magistrate, Bhilwara within three months to meet the cost of remediation measures,”said a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice A K Goel.

Responding to the order, the company said in a statement that HZL is a law abiding corporate citizen and will always uphold the law.

“NGT appointed a seven member committee of subject matter experts, and this committee submitted its report recommending plantation of trees worth Rs 90 lakh, which we were and are willing to comply with.

“However, NGT has directed that the company under the precautionary principle should spend Rs 25 crore towards community welfare programmes under the aegis of a newly constituted committee. For us, our local communities have always been an integral part of all our social initiatives and will continue to be so,” it said.

The company said it was preparing a blue print for Rs 1,000 crore CSR plan, to be executed in the next 4 to 5 years, along with the local administration and stakeholders for the socio-economic welfare of communities in all our areas of operations.

“While we continue with our social welfare work on ground, we will be filing an appeal against certain observations made by NGT, that are contradictory to the finding of the expert committee and the realities on the ground,” the company said.

The NGT also directed that a joint committee of the Central Pollution Control Board, state pollution control board and District Magistrate, Bhilwara with the assistance of any other experts may prepare a restoration plan for remediating the soil and quality of ground water in the area, apart from undertaking health improvement programme for the inhabitants and the cattle.

The action taken may be placed on the website of the District Magistrate, Bhilwara and its execution duly monitored, it said.

The remediation works may be got executed by an appropriate agency utilizing the amount deposited by the PP and the PP itself will have liberty to get the such work executed of restoration/rehabilitation on its own or through any other agency, if found proper by the joint committee in the circumstances, the bench said.

The NGT said that a public awareness group may be setup jointly by the DM and the PP to list out the issues requiring further action.

The amount deposited will be utilized for executing the plan within one year, associating all stakeholders, including the PP and civil society in a suitable manner, subject to overall supervision of the Committee, the bench said.

The joint committee may have a report of status of compliance as on March 31, 2023 filed before the Registrar General of this Tribunal by e-mail.

The tribunal was hearing a batch of pleas alleging violation of environmental norms by HZL in executing mining lease of lead, zinc and associated minerals in the villages covering nearly 1,200 hectares of mining land. (PTI)