GUWAHATI, Jan 4 � The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each on the Government of Assam and the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
Stating this, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests Jayanti Natarajan told the Rajya Sabha recently in reply to a question by Jaya Bachchan, that the NGT had directed the Government of Assam and the Ministry of Environment and Forests to deposit Rs 1 lakh each with the Director, Kaziranga National Park for conservation and restoration of flora and fauna as well as biodiversity, eco-sensitive zone, ecology and environment in the vicinity of the Park.
The NGT order in this connection was delivered on September 7, 2012 (in Application No. 38/2011; Rohit Choudhury versus Union of India and Others), the Minister said.
The Minister said further that the NGT had ordered removal of illegal stone crushers, brick kilns, tea factories, etc. from the No Development Zone (NDZ) at Kaziranga. The execution of the aforesaid order is to be done by the Assam State Pollution Control Board and the Government of Assam, she said.
Bachchan had asked the Minister to state whether the NGT had imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each on the Ministry and the Assam Government for letting industries mushroom illegally around the Kaziranga National Park over the last 15 years.
She also wanted to know whether the NGT had ordered closure of crushers, brick kilns and tea factories along with other such industries and whether the factories and industries established there would be removed and if so, when, and if not, the reasons therefore.
