The National Green Tribunal has slapped a fine on the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation for not complying with its earlier order to prevent spillage from dumping sites near Mollar Bheri into the water bodies of East Kolkata Wetlands.
The civic body has also been directed to deposit rupees 50 Lakhs as performance guarantee to the Central Pollution Control Board and furnish an action plan along with time lines to within 15 days to address the matter.

The NGT also expressed its dissatisfaction over BMC for its plans of processing waste in decentralised manner by installing organic waste converters and bio-methanation apart from establishing a centralised processing unit on a 20 acre land.
The tribunal, however, considered the plan to be unsatisfactory, highlighting that the old waste was addressed in a manner that would satisfy the provisions of the Solid Waste (Management) Rules, 2016. The NGT once again asked the BMC to follow the Indore Model or Pirana Model (Ahmedabad) for waste management.
The environmental compensation of two crores and the performance guarantee amount are to be deposited to the Central Pollution Control Board within 15 days.
Notably, in the month of August, the civic body had been fined rupees 10 Lakhs for failing to comply with its order of fencing the periphery of the Mollar Bheri, one of the water bodies in East Kolkata Wetlands.

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Environment activist Subhash Dutta, who is the petitioner in the case, said,“Dumping of garbage in the protected area of East Kolkata Wetlands is a prohibited activity. However, for years, garbage was being dumped in the prohibited area resulting in the contamination of water bodies near Mollar Bheri during rainy season.”
Mr Debasish Jana, MMIC of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, said that BMC will look into the matter. However, anything could be said only after the order is received.