GURGAON:
National Green Tribunal (NGT) reminded the Haryana govt that it has imposed a "complete prohibition" on littering and dumping of solid waste across the state, and warned that continued failure to enforce the order could attract prosecution of senior officials, including the chairman and member secretary of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB).
NGT granted the state four weeks for filing complete compliance reports and listed the matter for March 13, 2026. The upcoming hearing may determine whether NGT will escalate to compensation, prosecution, or even court-monitored enforcement-steps it took in other states facing similar waste-management failures.
The case, filed by Dharuhera resident Prakash Yadav, comes against the backdrop of Haryana's long-standing struggle with scientific waste management. For years, the state faced repeated judicial scrutiny for failing to implement basic provisions of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016. Multiple NGT orders since 2018 flagged rampant open dumping, slow remediation of legacy waste, and the near-absence of functional processing facilities in smaller towns.
CPCB assessments repeatedly listed Haryana among states with large unprocessed waste backlogs and inconsistent enforcement.
It was in this context that the tribunal's July 26, 2024 order, now under execution, imposed a blanket ban on illegal dumping after noting that municipal bodies were "neither preventing littering nor penalising violators", causing "serious environmental degradation... violating the fundamental right to health and clean environment".
"There shall be complete prohibition on littering/dumping of Solid Waste at unauthorised places... in the entire State of Haryana," NGT directed. It further mandated strict fines: "Rs 5,000 for first-time non-bulk waste violations, Rs 10,000 for repeat offences, and Rs 25,000-50,000 for bulk waste violations."
It also ordered that compensation collected must be used exclusively for proper processing and management of solid waste. However, the bench observed that despite this clear framework, compliance reports remained "materially deficient" and enforcement patchy.
The bench of justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and Dr Afroz Ahmad also took a stern view of HSPCB's performance, remarking that the board "completely ignored its statutory obligations" and "cannot work as a subservient subordinate wing of the State Government".
The comments echo similar criticisms the Tribunal made in past cases, ranging from air pollution to illegal mining, where HSPCB was found to be relying on govt inputs instead of conducting independent inspections or exercising its enforcement powers under the Environment (Protection) Act.
The Tribunal warned that continued failure to implement mandatory action under the SWM Rules could compel it to "impose environmental compensation on HSPCB and also order prosecution of the Chairman and Member Secretary".
It also recalled its August 29, 2025 order, which held that non-compliance with waste-management directives is an offence punishable under Section 26 of the NGT Act, 2010, signalling that individual officials-not just departments-could face legal consequences.
Dharuhera, the focal point of the execution plea, reflects problems common across Haryana's smaller urban bodies: the absence of a functional waste-processing plant, dependence on open dumping at informal sites, shortage of manpower, and delayed infrastructure creation. Similar conditions exist in Rewari, Jhajjar, Bhiwani, Mahendragarh, and other towns where municipal bodies rely on makeshift dumping despite repeated orders.
HSPCB told the tribunal it recommended Rs 1.11 crore environmental compensation on MC Dharuhera and initiated prosecution against its secretary. It cited penalties on NHAI, HSVP, HSIIDC Bawal, and others for illegal dumping.