The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has provided a four-week extension to a joint committee tasked with investigating allegations of air pollution emanating from the ACC Cement plant located in Barmana, Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh. The tribunal's bench, comprising Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Dr. Afroz Ahmad, issued the directive on Wednesday, December 18, 2025.
Background of the Case and Committee's Delay
The case was originally brought before the NGT by Kashmir Singh, a resident of village Khater in Barmana, who filed a plea on September 23, 2024. Singh's petition alleged that the operations of the cement plant were causing significant air pollution in the vicinity. The respondents in the case include the state of Himachal Pradesh and its environment department, among others.
During the proceedings, the joint committee, listed as respondent number five, informed the tribunal that it could not submit its report on time. The delay was attributed to the late receipt of a signed technical expert report dated December 13, which only arrived on December 16. Furthermore, the committee received an email on the same day from another panel member, Dr. Narender Sharma, Scientist 'F' at the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
NGT's Directives and Future Hearing
Considering the submission, the NGT bench ordered that the final report, signed by the two members of the joint committee, must be filed within the newly granted four-week period. The tribunal also explicitly allowed Dr. Narender Sharma to submit his independent report or comments separately within the same timeframe. The matter has now been scheduled for its next hearing on February 12, 2026.
Environmental Compensation and Proposed Mitigation
In earlier developments, the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (HPSPCB) had submitted a reply to the NGT on September 26. The board outlined proposed plans for utilizing environmental compensation (EC) funds in the affected area. According to HPSPCB Member Secretary Parveen Gupta, the proposals included:
- Sustainable water resource development projects aimed at improving air quality and ecosystem health near the plant, to be executed by the Divisional Forest Officer, Bilaspur, at an estimated cost of Rs 15 lakh.
- Solid waste management infrastructure, including the construction of eight segregation sheds costing Rs 4 lakh.
- Upgradation of root-zone treatment facilities in Nalag and Lagat villages, with a combined projected cost of Rs 12.88 lakh.
These proposals, submitted on September 24, were forwarded to the CPCB for its consideration. The HPSPCB also disclosed details of the environmental compensation deposited by ACC Cement Ltd. The company had paid Rs 20 lakh each to the CPCB and the HPSPCB. Subsequently, Rs 5 lakh was transferred from the state board to the central board, leaving Rs 15 lakh with the HPSPCB.
This remaining amount was released to the Block Development Officer, Sadar, Bilaspur, for community projects identified by the Gram Panchayat Barmana. The completed works included the installation of solar street lights and hand pumps. For its part, ACC Cement Ltd informed the NGT that it is earnestly complying with all recommendations from the joint committee to maintain air quality standards in the region.
