Over indiscriminate disposal of waste

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday imposed environmental compensation on the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) after a plea alleged that poultry farms were degrading the environment with “indiscriminate disposal of waste”.

₹25,000 compensation

A Bench headed by judicial member Jawad Rahim imposed environmental compensation of ₹25,000 on the authorities after they failed to reply to the notice.

The green panel had earlier issued notices to the authorities, including the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).

The petition, filed by social activist Gauri Maulekhi, claimed that “the level of waste is high as poultry farms have thousands of birds in intensive confinement in each farm. This waste is seldom disposed scientifically and in accordance with law”.

The plea further challenged the guidelines for poultry farms issued in 2015 by the CPCB and subsequent circulars issued by State pollution control boards.

CPCB directions

“Quash the Central Pollution Control Board directions dated February 29, 2016, to the extent as much as it categorises commercial poultry farming as a green industry. Further quash the circulars, guidelines and orders issued by the respective State pollution control boards,” the plea stated.

Poultry farms

The petition also urged the green panel to pass interim directions to “curtail the indiscriminate administration and use of antibiotics in the poultry industry and for their housing and environment.”