The whatsapp message that all members of Ambernath Citizens Forum talking today about is the significant order passed by Honorable Supreme Court.
The message said :-
"Breaking news...
Hon.SC has blasted the Maharashtra govt in the pollution case and ordered govt to pay RS.100 cr penalty and ordered all jeans manufacturing units in ulhasnagar to be closed immediately.
Great great victory for ACF and a war lost by local politicians.
In the Ulhas river pollution matter today, the Supreme court has made the Chief Secretary, Maharashtra give an undertaking to disburse Rs. 100 Cr. for restoration of Ulhas and waldhuni rivers. Chief Secretary has given that undertaking which shall be released in two trenches of 30 days each.
The NGT had passed a detailed judgement in 2015 and had imposed 95 crores as penalty on Kalyan Dombivili municipal corporation, Ambarnath municipal council, ,Ulhasnagar Municipal corporation, Kulgain Badlapur municipal council, MIDC and Common effluent treatment plants of Dombivili. Instead of paying the penalty, they chose to go to Hon’ble High Court of Bombay and got a stay order.
The matter finally reached the Supreme court challenging the HC wherein SC directed all parties to file fresh civil appeals against the NGT judgment. Henc, a fresh round of litigation on the merits in SC initiated.
Today, All municipal corporations have filed their affidavits and said they did not have the money to pay for the pollution and that they would only change things in next three or four years.
During the last hearing, the court had directed Chief Secretary Maharashtra Mr Sumit Mullick to be present in person in court. He was questioned and grilled for almost half n hour in today’s hearing.
The court has ordered the state of Maharashtra to pay 100 crores towards restoration of the river. 50 crores to be paid within one month. The balance after the next month. Chief Secretary has been directed to take a decision on shutting all illegal industries immediately and action on disconnection of electricity and water supply to all jeans washing units in Ulhasnagar.
Today's order comes as a big relief to us since we have relentlessly pursued the case for the past 5 years. Our faith in the judiciary has been answered!
The Chief Secretary will be personally liable for any non compliance of the order. Justice Madan Lukur and Justice Deepak Gupta passed the orders today. They tried to save 96 crores ended up paying 100 Cr and more is yet to come"
As one can understand that finally court gave order to not only close the jeans washing units but also slapped a penalty of Rs One Hundred Crore to Maharashtra State Government. This amount to be used to treat water of Ulhas river & Waldhuni river.
Prior to all this, ACF was continuosly working towards collecting samples, evidence of pollution related matter. ACF worked closely with NGO Vanashakti who had first filed case before National Green Tribunal. NGT had ordered the four urban local along with the Common Effluent Treatment Plant agencies, MIDC and MPCB to deposit 96 crore rupees in an escrow account to be monitored by the Konkan Divisional Commissioner. Personnel from Vanashakti had often visited ACF members especially for past 2 months to get additional info on this case. All photos videos were regularly shared with them.
Apart from this case, numerous tweets were sent to CMO, Maharashtra. ACF members have approached numerous times to MPCB, Kalyan. Most of the times private security used to not allow members to meet MPCB officials. An email on this was sent to Mr D B Patil (Regional Officer, Kalyan) with a copy to Honorable Prime Minister, Chief Minister, Commissioner Thane Police & Joint Commissioner Thane Police. ACF members left no stone unturned. Citizens Forum have knocked on every possible door.
Last year, Mirror Now had done a story on how water is being polluted by chemical units & residents are forced to drink contamminated water. Also they had invited noted activist Satyajit Burman to Mirror Now Studio for discussion.
You can find the video in below link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_REhUzfALrk&t=389s
Also ACF members were shocked to learn that Jeans Washing Units who were causing so much pollution was being supported by local MLA who had written to govt to allow the jeans washing units to continue to operate. This happened after MPCB had sent closure notices to few Jeans washing units (ACF has copy of that closure order). People were upset that lakhs of citizens were exposed to hazardous chemicals which might have a serious health issue and local MLA chose to support the jeans washing units who were causing the pollution. Citizens had openly opposed this and had protested on streets. It had come in news too :-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T1PvyTvzxQ
The details have also come in TOI : http://bit.ly/2hyXzaA
All said and done today's verdict by SC came as a welcome result for all citizens.
The message said :-
"Breaking news...
Hon.SC has blasted the Maharashtra govt in the pollution case and ordered govt to pay RS.100 cr penalty and ordered all jeans manufacturing units in ulhasnagar to be closed immediately.
Great great victory for ACF and a war lost by local politicians.
In the Ulhas river pollution matter today, the Supreme court has made the Chief Secretary, Maharashtra give an undertaking to disburse Rs. 100 Cr. for restoration of Ulhas and waldhuni rivers. Chief Secretary has given that undertaking which shall be released in two trenches of 30 days each.
The NGT had passed a detailed judgement in 2015 and had imposed 95 crores as penalty on Kalyan Dombivili municipal corporation, Ambarnath municipal council, ,Ulhasnagar Municipal corporation, Kulgain Badlapur municipal council, MIDC and Common effluent treatment plants of Dombivili. Instead of paying the penalty, they chose to go to Hon’ble High Court of Bombay and got a stay order.
The matter finally reached the Supreme court challenging the HC wherein SC directed all parties to file fresh civil appeals against the NGT judgment. Henc, a fresh round of litigation on the merits in SC initiated.
Today, All municipal corporations have filed their affidavits and said they did not have the money to pay for the pollution and that they would only change things in next three or four years.
During the last hearing, the court had directed Chief Secretary Maharashtra Mr Sumit Mullick to be present in person in court. He was questioned and grilled for almost half n hour in today’s hearing.
The court has ordered the state of Maharashtra to pay 100 crores towards restoration of the river. 50 crores to be paid within one month. The balance after the next month. Chief Secretary has been directed to take a decision on shutting all illegal industries immediately and action on disconnection of electricity and water supply to all jeans washing units in Ulhasnagar.
Today's order comes as a big relief to us since we have relentlessly pursued the case for the past 5 years. Our faith in the judiciary has been answered!
The Chief Secretary will be personally liable for any non compliance of the order. Justice Madan Lukur and Justice Deepak Gupta passed the orders today. They tried to save 96 crores ended up paying 100 Cr and more is yet to come"
As one can understand that finally court gave order to not only close the jeans washing units but also slapped a penalty of Rs One Hundred Crore to Maharashtra State Government. This amount to be used to treat water of Ulhas river & Waldhuni river.
Prior to all this, ACF was continuosly working towards collecting samples, evidence of pollution related matter. ACF worked closely with NGO Vanashakti who had first filed case before National Green Tribunal. NGT had ordered the four urban local along with the Common Effluent Treatment Plant agencies, MIDC and MPCB to deposit 96 crore rupees in an escrow account to be monitored by the Konkan Divisional Commissioner. Personnel from Vanashakti had often visited ACF members especially for past 2 months to get additional info on this case. All photos videos were regularly shared with them.
Apart from this case, numerous tweets were sent to CMO, Maharashtra. ACF members have approached numerous times to MPCB, Kalyan. Most of the times private security used to not allow members to meet MPCB officials. An email on this was sent to Mr D B Patil (Regional Officer, Kalyan) with a copy to Honorable Prime Minister, Chief Minister, Commissioner Thane Police & Joint Commissioner Thane Police. ACF members left no stone unturned. Citizens Forum have knocked on every possible door.
Last year, Mirror Now had done a story on how water is being polluted by chemical units & residents are forced to drink contamminated water. Also they had invited noted activist Satyajit Burman to Mirror Now Studio for discussion.
You can find the video in below link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_REhUzfALrk&t=389s
Also ACF members were shocked to learn that Jeans Washing Units who were causing so much pollution was being supported by local MLA who had written to govt to allow the jeans washing units to continue to operate. This happened after MPCB had sent closure notices to few Jeans washing units (ACF has copy of that closure order). People were upset that lakhs of citizens were exposed to hazardous chemicals which might have a serious health issue and local MLA chose to support the jeans washing units who were causing the pollution. Citizens had openly opposed this and had protested on streets. It had come in news too :-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T1PvyTvzxQ
The details have also come in TOI : http://bit.ly/2hyXzaA
All said and done today's verdict by SC came as a welcome result for all citizens.
