Private medical college violated green norms, must pay up: NGT

NGT directed the authorities - union environment ministry and SEIAA - to compute and recover the compensation for the number of days of violation.
Going by the NGT order, the minimum compensation to be paid by the college would be Rs 3.4 crore as calculated till 2022. The amount will be revised and calculated till January 2025.
Going by the NGT order, the minimum compensation to be paid by the college would be Rs 3.4 crore as calculated till 2022. The amount will be revised and calculated till January 2025.
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CHENNAI: The southern bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday held ACS Medical College and Hospital in Tiruvallur as a violator as it was found guilty of operating from 2008 without a consent to operate (CTO) from Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and prior Environmental Clearance (EC).

Disposing of a petition filed by one KR Selvaraj Kumar, NGT directed the authorities - union environment ministry and State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) - to compute and recover the compensation for the number of days of violation.

“We make it clear that until EC is obtained, the project proponent (ACS Medical College and Hospital) shall be deemed as a violator. The EC cannot be granted until the entire compensation amount, as calculated by the authorities, is recovered,” the tribunal, comprising judicial member Pushpa Sathyanarana and expert member K Satyagopal said.

The operation of the college and the hospital will depend on the final outcome of the case pending before the Supreme Court, where a group of organisations alleged in violation of environmental laws have challenged the Office Memorandum of union environment ministry that called for closure of facilities that didn’t have prior EC.

Going by the NGT order, the minimum compensation to be paid by the college would be Rs 3.4 crore as calculated till 2022. The amount will be revised and calculated till January 2025.

The institution commenced operations in 2008 after obtaining the ‘Consent to Establish’ from TNPCB. However, it failed to secure the mandatory EC as required under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006. While the institution submitted an application for EC in March 2009, it did not pursue the process further.

In January 2019, TNPCB issued a show-cause notice for operating without the required CTO. The board also observed that the institution had not applied for EC. Subsequent inspections reportedly revealed non-compliance, including untreated sewage discharge, improper biomedical waste disposal, and unauthorised construction.

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