DM, VB registrar fined for waste mgmt lapses at varsity, Poush Mela
Times of India | 23 December 2025
Kolkata: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) came down heavily on Birbhum district administration and Visva-Bharati University for failing to comply with its orders on solid and liquid waste management in and around the university in general, and related to Shantiniketan's Poush Mela in particular.
The NGT eastern zonal bench of Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Ishwar Singh on Monday imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the DM of Birbhum and Rs 10,000 on the registrar of Visva-Bharati for non-compliance with directions. Both officials were also directed to appear personally before the tribunal at the next hearing. Green activist Subhas Datta, who filed the original case in 2015, said the matter pertained to the failure to put in place proper solid waste management, sewage treatment facilities and liquid waste disposal mechanisms during the Poush Mela. Although the case was disposed of in 2017 with specific directions, the required infrastructure — including a sewage treatment plant — was never made operational, he alleged.
Taking note of violations, the NGT initiated a suo motu case on Oct 15 setting Dec 22 as the deadline for compliance. However the tribunal found that neither the district administration nor the university had submitted any compliance report. Earlier, Visva-Bharati was directed to file an affidavit detailing progress on the project by Dec 31, 2024, followed by a compliance report by Jan 31, 2025.