The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) to fix environmental compensation to those responsible for the Kadambrayar pollution in Ernakulam.
The South Bench of the tribunal, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, a member of the trial court, and Prashant Gargava, an expert member, issued an order on February 19, 2026, asking the board to assess the environmental compensation to be paid by the violators. The bench also directed the council to ensure compliance with the action taken report submitted by the Local Government Department (LSGD) regarding river pollution.
Ecological compensation will be determined on the basis of the “polluter pays” principle. The board must calculate the amount based on the waste generated by the offender. The LSGD submitted a report to the tribunal stating that unauthorized discharge of sewage from industrial units, housing complexes, hotels and illegal pipelines into Kadambrayar in Ernakulam was identified in a survey conducted by local bodies sharing the watercourse’s banks.
The board inspected commercial establishments, industrial units, apartment complexes and residential units to check whether untreated sewage was being discharged into Kadambrayar. The erring units were found to lack adequate facilities, including sewage treatment plants as per standards, to ensure proper treatment of sewage.
Published – 02 March 2026 21:00 IST
