Bengaluru: For polluting Whitefield, Graphite to cough up Rs 50 lakh

New Delh: Graphite India Ltd (GIL) told the Supreme Court on Monday that it would pay Rs 50 lakh to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) under the 'polluter pays principle' for its Bengaluru plant, facing complaints of pollution and emission of black dust.

The GIL's counsel told a bench headed by Justice Madan B. Lokur that KSPCB could utilise this amount for dealing with measures to curb pollution in Bengaluru's Whitefield area where the plant is situated. The apex court had on October 23 asked GIL's counsel to apprise it as to how much they were willing to pay on the basis of the 'polluter pays principle'.

During the hearing, senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for GIL, told the bench that he has taken instructions from the company and it is willing to pay Rs 50 lakh to the KSPCB. Advocate Aparajita Singh, assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the air pollution matter, agreed with the GIL's proposal and said there was "fugitive emission" in the area and GIL was "putting their house in order".  

The bench, after hearing the submissions, asked GIL to deposit Rs 50 lakh with the KSPCB within two weeks and made it clear that it would be without prejudice to the rights of the parties.   

The apex court had earlier pulled up the KSPCB for "doing nothing" to curb pollution in Bengaluru even as the city was grappling with the problem.