Jail or fine up to Rs 10 cr for tyre burning
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PUNE: Burning tyres, a favourite protest mode in agitations as recently seen in the anti-toll stir, can now attract a fine
of up to Rs 10 crore or even imprisonment for up to three years. The
western zone bench of the National Green Tribunal, Pune, has banned
burning of tyres particularly in bulk in public spaces such as roads or
near residential areas. It has directed the police in the states of
Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa to ensure compliance to the order.
The tribunal was hearing a plea filed in November last year by city-based Sahyog Trust and other advocates against the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and Maharashtra state, on the hazardous impact of the toxic smoke that burning tyres produces on human beings as well as the environment. The order was passed recently and states that dereliction in the implementation of the directions, will lead to penal action as mentioned in section 26 of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010.
The tribunal further directed that its order should be circulated and its copy given to police authorities concerned including the director general of police of all the states, inspector general of police, the commissioners of police for due compliance. It also directed the MPCB to do its part to ensure proper compliance to the order.
Activists who had filed the plea with the tribunal said they were worried about the health hazards fumes from burning tyres pose. "We learnt from experts that burning tyres emit smoke that contains harmful gases and chemicals such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, chromium, arsenic, zinc, barium, cobalt, copper, iron, aluminum, manganese and vanadium, which are hazardous to human beings as well as to the environment. It has been seen that whenever any political party or religious group initiates an agitation, they burn tyres," said advocate Asim Sarode of Sahyog Trust, who along with several other had filed the petition, following recent agitations in the state, be it against toll or on sugarcane pricing, that had seen widespread burning of tyres on thoroughfares.
A bench headed by Justice V R Kingaonkar, and expert member Ajay A Deshpande, gave the order dated January 15, 2014, which stated, "By way of ad-interim measure, we direct that the respondents and if necessary, on information given by the activists or the applicants, as the case may be, the local police through the state of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa, shall ensure that there shall be no incident of burning of tyres, particularly bulk of tyres at public places like public road, in the locality surrounded by the residential houses, which is likely to cause smoke and health hazard. Any dereliction in this directions, may entail penal consequences as enumerated in Section 26 of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, if the same is brought to the notice of this tribunal."
The petition had also sought adoption of a scientific way to trace used tyres, by bar-coding them. "Our appeals or 'amended prayers' included directions to be given to MPCB to frame some rules to regulate remolding of tyres in a more eco-friendly way, as well as to submit a status report about the present day industries and businesses involved in re-molding of tyre," said Sarode.
The petition had also appealed to the tribunal to direct the MPCB to furnish details on the number of industries in the state that are in the business of remolding tyres, list of licence holders who have been given permission to operate in this business by the MPCB, instances when MPCB took action against such industries for breaking environmental laws, level of toxic elements in smoke coming out of these industries, and measurements related to the height of chimneys on industrial units involved in remolding tyre in Maharashtra.
The tribunal has directed the MPCB to give response to the amended prayers of the applicants along with a response to the main application.
The tribunal was hearing a plea filed in November last year by city-based Sahyog Trust and other advocates against the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and Maharashtra state, on the hazardous impact of the toxic smoke that burning tyres produces on human beings as well as the environment. The order was passed recently and states that dereliction in the implementation of the directions, will lead to penal action as mentioned in section 26 of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010.
The tribunal further directed that its order should be circulated and its copy given to police authorities concerned including the director general of police of all the states, inspector general of police, the commissioners of police for due compliance. It also directed the MPCB to do its part to ensure proper compliance to the order.
Activists who had filed the plea with the tribunal said they were worried about the health hazards fumes from burning tyres pose. "We learnt from experts that burning tyres emit smoke that contains harmful gases and chemicals such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, chromium, arsenic, zinc, barium, cobalt, copper, iron, aluminum, manganese and vanadium, which are hazardous to human beings as well as to the environment. It has been seen that whenever any political party or religious group initiates an agitation, they burn tyres," said advocate Asim Sarode of Sahyog Trust, who along with several other had filed the petition, following recent agitations in the state, be it against toll or on sugarcane pricing, that had seen widespread burning of tyres on thoroughfares.
A bench headed by Justice V R Kingaonkar, and expert member Ajay A Deshpande, gave the order dated January 15, 2014, which stated, "By way of ad-interim measure, we direct that the respondents and if necessary, on information given by the activists or the applicants, as the case may be, the local police through the state of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa, shall ensure that there shall be no incident of burning of tyres, particularly bulk of tyres at public places like public road, in the locality surrounded by the residential houses, which is likely to cause smoke and health hazard. Any dereliction in this directions, may entail penal consequences as enumerated in Section 26 of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, if the same is brought to the notice of this tribunal."
The petition had also sought adoption of a scientific way to trace used tyres, by bar-coding them. "Our appeals or 'amended prayers' included directions to be given to MPCB to frame some rules to regulate remolding of tyres in a more eco-friendly way, as well as to submit a status report about the present day industries and businesses involved in re-molding of tyre," said Sarode.
The petition had also appealed to the tribunal to direct the MPCB to furnish details on the number of industries in the state that are in the business of remolding tyres, list of licence holders who have been given permission to operate in this business by the MPCB, instances when MPCB took action against such industries for breaking environmental laws, level of toxic elements in smoke coming out of these industries, and measurements related to the height of chimneys on industrial units involved in remolding tyre in Maharashtra.
The tribunal has directed the MPCB to give response to the amended prayers of the applicants along with a response to the main application.
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