The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a fine of ₹25,000 on the District Magistrate (DM) of Kanpur Nagar for failing to adhere to the tribunal’s directives regarding a critical environmental health issue in Uttar Pradesh.
The fine was levied after the DM neglected to personally update the tribunal on a report detailing the impact of toxic metal exposure, including chromium, on residents. This report was central to ongoing hearings concerning the discharge of untreated industrial effluents by local tanneries and issues related to the functioning of the common effluent treatment plant in Jajmau village, Kanpur Nagar district.
On August 14, a bench led by NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, alongside judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel, expressed dissatisfaction with the DM’s handling of the matter. The tribunal had previously mandated on May 13, 2024, that if district magistrates wished to submit reports directly, they must appear personally to discuss their findings.
The directive was not followed by the Kanpur Nagar DM, who submitted the report on August 12 without proper protocol and failed to appear virtually to discuss the contents, as required. The bench highlighted an alarming reference in another report by the Kanpur Dehat DM, which analyzed the presence of chromium and mercury in the blood samples of 44 residents from the Rakhi Mandi area, taken in October 2020.
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The NGT emphasized the seriousness of the environmental issues at stake and the need for diligent reporting and personal accountability. The imposed fine is to be deposited with the NGT Bar Association within two weeks.
