#Environmental Liability

NGT imposes strict liability on industrial occupiers for hazardous waste fires, mandating environmental compensation and a technical committee inquiry into regulatory compliance. The ruling underscores non-delegable duty for safe waste handling under Hazardous and Other Wastes Rules, 2016, impacting industries storing or processing hazardous materials.

The National Green Tribunal invoked suo moto powers to launch an environmental investigation after a boiler blast at Vedanta’s Sakti plant killed 13 workers, ordering a joint technical committee to assess violations of environmental laws and recommend compensation. This sets a critical precedent for proactive environmental accountability in industrial disasters, even without a formal petition, reinforcing the NGT’s role as a guardian of ecological rights under the NGT Act, 2010.

NGT Southern Zone rules that successor companies inherit environmental liability only if expressly assumed via contract or prior notice. The judgment shields new owners from penalties for pre-takeover violations, reinforcing the 'polluter pays' principle while balancing corporate transitions. Industrial acquirers and pollution control boards must now document liability transfers explicitly to avoid disputes.

NGT holds that cement manufacturers purchasing illegally mined limestone may be held liable for environmental degradation, establishing duty of due diligence under NGT Act.

NGT holds that compensation for firecracker factory blast victims must follow Sarla Verma framework, with remaining dues to be paid promptly and disputes referable to civil courts.

NGT holds that employers must pay compensation under Sarla Verma principles, beyond statutory payouts, for fatal industrial accidents caused by negligence.

National Green Tribunal upholds absolute liability of project proponent for environmental damage under Polluter Pays Principle, rejecting tripartite agreement as shield from statutory liability.