National Green Tribunal’s Southern Bench here has imposed a fine of Rs. 20,000 on a Chennai-based packaged drinking water unit, which continued to function despite a closure order.
The Bench’s order came on a plea by Shanmuga Aqua Industries of Gandhi Nagar West in Chennai, which sought to modify the Tribunal’s January 29 order that categorised the applicant as one of the units which cannot be permitted to operate. The TNPCB had issued a show-cause notice to the unit as to why it should not be ordered to close down, since it had not obtained order of consent from authorities.
However, on obtaining consent from authorities, the unit contended that it cannot be categorised as one of the units which cannot be permitted to operate and sought to modify the January 29 order.
The Bench, comprising Justice P. Jyothimani and expert member P.S. Rao, said, “There was no embargo on the part of the applicant at any point of time to explain to this Tribunal that he is not coming under the Category 1. Having not done so, in spite of categorising the unit under Category 1, the applicant has been running the unit and doing business and to that extent there is a violation.”
The Bench directed the applicant to pay Rs. 20,000 compensation in the account of Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust within two weeks.
It had been functioning without obtaining order of consent from the authorities
