NGT Drops the Hammer on TwentyOne Sugar Factory for Environmental Damage
In a recent ruling on April 30, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered TwentyOne Sugar Factory, led by Congress’s Amit Deshmukh, to cough up a whopping ₹1.67 crore in compensation for environmental harm and crop losses inflicted on affected farmers. The factory, situated in Nanded district and chaired by Deshmukh, has been directed to pay ₹1,13,40,000 to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board for environmental damage compensation within a tight two-month timeframe. Additionally, a sum of ₹54,43,955 is to be shelled out to compensate 31 farmers who suffered crop losses due to the factory’s discharge of harmful effluents and pollutants.
The NGT’s ruling comes in response to a plea filed by the aggrieved farmers, who accused the factory of flouting consent conditions by releasing untreated effluents and pollutants, resulting in contamination of nearby agricultural land, water bodies, and the environment. The tribunal’s investigation, spanning over two years, uncovered a string of violations committed by TwentyOne Sugar Factory, including operating without the requisite consent from the pollution control board, failing to install necessary treatment units, exceeding permissible discharge limits, and accidentally releasing harmful effluents into the surroundings. The penalty imposed on the factory for these infractions amounts to a hefty ₹1,19,40,000, as determined by the joint committees appointed by the NGT.
The factory’s defense, as presented to the joint committee in December 2023, highlighted their acquisition of the facility from Venkateshwara Agro Sugar Products Pvt Ltd and the DVP Group. The new management claimed to have invested ₹7.92 crore in enhancing the existing environment management system through various upgrades in process management, effluent treatment, and emission control. Despite repeated attempts to reach out to Amit Deshmukh for his input on the matter, he remained elusive. The NGT’s decisive action against TwentyOne Sugar Factory serves as a stark reminder of the repercussions faced by entities found flouting environmental regulations and jeopardizing the livelihoods of farmers in the process.
