Mumbai: NGT Orders Fresh Review Of Environmental Compensation Against Deonar Biomedical Waste Facility Over Violations
· Free Press Journal
Mumbai, April 15: A bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Pune has directed a fresh assessment of environmental compensation in a case concerning alleged violations by a biomedical waste management firm at the city's Deonar dumping ground, observing discrepancies in the earlier calculation by the state pollution regulator.
Residents challenge compensation assessment
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Hearing an application filed by Govandi New Sangam Welfare, the tribunal on April 7 noted that respondent, SMS Envoclean Private Limited, which operates the plant, had claimed to have already paid Rs 14.22 lakh as Environmental Damage Compensation (EDC) as assessed by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). However, the Govandi residents challenged the adequacy of this amount, citing multiple instances of non-compliance.
Tribunal directs reassessment of penalties linked to violations at Deonar biomedical waste treatment plantTribunal flags discrepancies in MPCB affidavit
The bench, comprising Judicial Member Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and Expert Member Dr Sujit Kumar Bajpayee, found that the MPCB’s affidavit recorded “nil” values for several violations, including failure to meet treated wastewater standards, lapses in autoclave and microwave operations, and delays in biomedical waste disposal beyond the mandated 48-hour period.
Company response awaited
The Mumbai office of SMS Envoclean Private Limited declined to comment on whether the company will challenge the tribunal's order. The Nagpur head office of the company did not respond to messages and calls.
NGT questions earlier assessment
The tribunal expressed disagreement with this assessment, noting that intermittent violations had been recorded in inspection reports and closure directions issued between 2018 and 2023. It held that these could not be disregarded in calculating environmental compensation.
Joint committee to recompute compensation
Accordingly, the NGT directed a joint committee comprising representatives from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the MPCB to recompute the EDC within four weeks. The committee has been asked to consider the full period of alleged violations—from June 29, 2018 to February 2, 2023—while also allowing both parties an opportunity to present evidence.
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The tribunal added that MPCB will act as the nodal agency for the exercise. The committee’s report is to be shared with all parties, who may file objections thereafter. The matter has been listed for final hearing on June 22, 2026.
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