File Photo | Photo Credit: BCCL

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday rapped the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for “repeated defiance” on issuing warnings to airlines for continuously emptying their toilet tanks midair, reported news agency PTI. It may be noted that a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel indicated that the salary of the DGCA will be withheld if the order is not complied by August 31.

Worth mentioning that the NGT has taken a stern view on the matter this time as airlines are still believed to be clearing their tanks mid-air, leading to a lot of inconveniences to any residential area below.

"Neither, there is any valid explanation nor there is compliance by the DGCA. It is not disputed that the order is operative and has not been stayed in any proceedings..."Since there is a repeated defiance by the DGCA with absolutely no acceptable explanation, we have no option but to direct the DGCA to comply with the directions already issued on or before August 31," the bench, also comprising Justice Jawad Rahim, said.

The green tribunal went on to suggest that continued defiance to its order may also land the DGCA in trouble. "If the order remains uncompiled, the Director-General may be required to remain present in person," the bench said.

Also, during the hearing, the DGCA told the bench that the order has not complied till data as the review petition against the NGT order was still pending adjudication. It may be noted that the DGCA had sought stay and review of the NGT’s December 2016 and the January 10 order of the tribunal which suggested that it was impossible to dump human waste from mid-air.

In the past, many people have complained about human waste falling from the skies in the past. A retired Lt Gen Satwant Singh Dahiya filed a complaint and suggested that faeces dumped by airlines had been “splattered” from an aircraft on his South Delhi house in 2016. There have been several other similar cases, following which the NGT had directed DGCA to issue a circular to all airlines to pay Rs 50,000 as environmental compensation if found dumping excreta midair.

It remains to be seen whether the DGCA complies with new warnings. However, the tribunal’s message remains the same as it was in 2016 – “Any aircraft, airlines and the handling services of registered aircraft should be penalised by the DGCA.