Enforcement of environmental laws displeases CJ

New Delhi, July 7 (UNI) Supreme Court Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal today expressed anguish about the enforcement of the laws governing the environment in the country.

''What seems lacking is the enforcement of the plethora of laws governing environment in the country. The responsiblity of enforcement of these laws is not of state agencies alone but also of other stakeholders like the community, industry, inparticular the private sector and every individual,'' he said at the conference on Law and sustainable development organised by the confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

He also said that the Indian Judiciary has been leading the international trends on the subject by going beyond the strict jurisdictional rule of 'recognised legal interest' and has encouraged environemental issues concerning communities.

He also pointed out that there is no competent authority at present to generate, gather and make available the necessary scientific and technical information and that the Court direction of setting up an ecological sciences research group has not been imlemented so far.

The plan of setting up environmental courts on regional basis with one judge and two experts drawn from the ecological sciences research group has also not been carried out, he stressed.

He undercored the role of the industry in exhibiting responsible behaviour and organisations like the CII in stimulating companies to commit themselves to improve their environmental performance.

He also added that market mechanisms like polluter pays principles could play a major role in controlling environmental pollution.

UNI ARB RP DB2158