WB govt fined Rs 5 crore for failing to check pollution
Kolkata, Nov 29 (IBNS): The National Green Tribunal has slapped a Rs 5-crore fine on the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal for failing to improve air quality in Kolkata and Howrah. The money has to be paid in two weeks, failing which the amount will increase by Rs 1 crore every month.
The order came after the state government failed to implement measures recommended by the NGT in an earlier order in 2016 to check air pollution, reports said.
"The West Bengal government is very serious about the environment," said Firhad Hakim, who will take charge as the mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation shortly.
Stating that the citizens are breathing in poison, environment crusasor Subhas Dutta told NDTV, "The chief secretary should be put behind bars."
Replying to a suggestion by a minister that more electricity-run buses be introduced could be introduced on Kolkata streets to curb pollution, Dutta said that would be no help because coal in burnt to produce the same electricity.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
