New Delhi, Jan. 13 -- The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata, has directed the West Bengal government, Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) and pollution control authorities to take urgent, time-bound measures to clear legacy waste and enforce statutory solid waste management norms at the Belgachia dumping ground in Howrah.

Warning that continued non-compliance would invite penal consequences, the tribunal ordered strict implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and directed assessment of environmental compensation for violations, noting that the existing condition of the landfill poses serious risks to public health and the environment.

In a detailed order pronounced on January 9, the tribunal, hea...