• It hears cases related to environment conservation and protection.
• It is not bounded by the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 or the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, it is guided by the principles of natural justice.
• With the establishment of the NGT, India became the third country in the world to set up a specialized environmental tribunal, only after Australia and New Zealand, and the first developing country to do so.
• The principal bench of NGT is at New Delhi, while the branches of NGT are in Bhopal, Pune, Chennai and Kolkata.

Structure of NGT

• It consists of a chairperson who should be the judge of the supreme court of India or chief justice of High court.
• Judicial members
• Experts

What are the powers of NGT?

• The NGT is mandated to dispose of all the cases within six months of filling.
• An order or decision of the tribunal is executable as a decree of a civil court.
• The appeal against the order of NGT can be filled within 90 days.
• Any order of NGT is executable as a decree of a civil court.
• NGT also has the power to impose a penalty for not complying with its decision.

Jurisdiction of NGT

NGT deals with civil cases under the laws related to:

• The water (prevention and control of pollution) Act, 1974
• The water (prevention and control of pollution) Cess Act, 1974.
• The forest (conservation) Act, 1980.
• The Air (prevention and control of pollution) Act, 1981.
• The environment (protection) Act, 1986.
• The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991.
• The Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

Important Judgements of NGT

• NGT suspended the project of POSCO, a steelmaker company, in Odisha. It was considered an important judgement for the protection of local communities and forests. This was done in the year 2012.
• NGT in its judgement in 2012, Almitra H. Patel vs. Union of India, ordered the complete prohibition of open burning of waste on lands, including landfills.
• In Uttrakhand floods, 2013, NGT ordered the Alaknanda Hydro Power Co. Ltd to compensate the petitioner. NGT used the principle of 'polluter pays.
• NGT in 2015 banned diesel vehicle which is more than ten years old in Delhi-NCR.
• NGT imposed the penalty of 5 crores on the Art of Living Festival because it was found violating the environmental norms on Yamuna Flood Plain.
• The NGT, in 2017, imposed an interim ban on plastic bags of less than 50-micron thickness in Delhi because “they were causing animal deaths, clogging sewers and harming the environment”.

We hope you all understood about National Green Tribunal for UGC NET Exam 2023.

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